# Molecular and cellular basis of mosquito olfactory attraction to hay infusion for enhanced vector surveillance and control

> **NIH NIH R21** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $204,688

## Abstract

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is a prolific disease vector that thrives in urban environments. Its explosive
population dynamics are driven by the ability of female Ae. aegypti to seek out standing pools of water to lay
their desiccation-resistant eggs. Of note, females are attracted to the scent of decomposing botanical matter in
water, but only after mating and blood-feeding. In particular, gravid female Ae. aegypti are highly attracted to
the scent of fermenting African Bermuda grass hay in water, which has been exploited for mosquito trapping
strategies in the field that aim to lure this major disease vector to its death during the act of egg laying. We
propose to apply integrative methods to define the molecular and cellular basis of Ae. aegypti olfactory
attraction to hay infusion which will catalyze identification of olfactory circuitry mediating oviposition site search
and novel oviposition attractants for this disease vector. To elucidate candidate chemoreceptors and
associated neurons implicated in mosquito olfactory attraction to hay infusion, we will test the role of different
chemoreceptor classes using loss-of-function genetics and olfactory sensory neuron populations by selectively
disrupting neural activity using cell-type specific neuronal silencing. In parallel, we aim to reverse engineer
attractive blends of oviposition attractants mimicking the scent of hay infusion by leveraging chemical analysis
of infusion headspace combined with neural activity assays that compare olfactory sensitivity and response
amplitudes of non-gravid and gravid mosquitoes to conserved volatile organic compounds found in this this
natural lure. These aims will fundamentally improve our understanding of the chemosensory basis of Ae.
aegypti oviposition site search behavior. From a translational perspective, this research will reveal new
molecular targets in the Ae. aegypti olfactory system to modulate mosquito egg laying behavior and identify
novel synthetic formulations of oviposition attractants for enhanced population surveillance and control of this
globally important disease vector.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10765699
- **Project number:** 5R21AI176101-02
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Conor James McMeniman
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $204,688
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-01-18 → 2024-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10765699

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10765699, Molecular and cellular basis of mosquito olfactory attraction to hay infusion for enhanced vector surveillance and control (5R21AI176101-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10765699. Licensed CC0.

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