Genomic surveillance of malaria mosquitoes in the Western Pacific.

Theme: Ecology genetics and evolution

Description: 

Control of malaria, a disease that kills 600,000 yearly, is in trouble worldwide. This is largely due to the extraordinary capacity for mosquito vectors to adapt to the approaches we use to control them. Genome sequencing of mosquitoes has a pivotal role to play in anticipating mosquito adaptation to control - through insecticide resistance or changes in behaviour. Historically, genomic surveillance has focussed on African mosquitoes. In this project, you will contribute to the first large-scale genomic surveillance study of malaria mosquitoes in the Pacific and Australia, performing population genomic analysis to identify regions of the genome implicated in insecticide resistance, and understanding how mosquito populations are structured to facilitate next-generation genetic control techniques.This project will involve bioinformatics and statistical analysis in R and Python (e.g. https://anopheles-genomic-surveillance.github.io/home.html). While there is the possibility of some laboratory work, this is a largely computational project.

Additional Information: 

You will collaborate with the Vector Genome Observatory (https://www.malariagen.net/vobs/), and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

Contact: Dr Tristan Dennis / Prof. Nigel Beebe