MCB Seminar: Mosquito microbiome: Another wrinkle in the insecticide resistance conundrum and untapped potential for surveillance

Dr. Nsa Dada's research efforts are concentrated on the evolution of microbe-mediated phenotypic variations in multicellular organisms as a function of biotic and abiotic factors. She currently leads a research program that is aimed at understanding how microbes (both host and environmentally-derived) shape the evolution of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. To do so, she uses a combination of molecular, 'omics and classical (micro)biology tools, as well as bioinformatics, to explore this in wild mosquito populations and/or their progeny in laboratory settings. She also founded and lead the Mosquito Microbiome Consortium, a collaborative initiative for advancing mosquito microbiome research, particularly from laboratory to field applications. Dr. Dada is highly involved in other initiatives (for example G-AVENIR) that are focused on expanding disease vector genomics research in Africa–in particular and is working towards establishing sustainable bioinformatics resources and capacity on the continent.