Mosquito repellents that actually work? Yes, thanks to AI

Mosquito-borne diseases, like malaria and dengue, remain a major global health threat, especially in tropical regions.

Insect repellents, such as DEET, provide some level of protection but they come with challenges, including high costs, user discomfort and the need for frequent reapplication.

Meanwhile, widely used spatial repellents that rely on synthetic pyrethroid insecticides face growing resistance among mosquito populations.

A new approach could change the way we protect people from mosquitoes.

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have developed a machine learning-based method that predicts novel mosquito repellents.

This technique, combined with cheminformatics, has already identified compounds that may offer safer and more sustainable alternatives to traditional repellents.

With funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the team is now working to refine their findings and explore new mosquito control methods.

Machine learning in mosquito control

Mosquitoes use their senses of smell and taste to locate human hosts. By understanding these systems, scientists can develop better repellents that disrupt the insects’ ability to find and feed on people.

The research team has used machine learning to screen more than 10 million chemical compounds, searching for effective alternatives to existing repellents.

“We have already identified repellent molecules with a high success rate, particularly from natural sources, which could provide a safer and more sustainable alternative to current repellents,” said Anandasankar Ray, a professor of molecular, cell and systems biology.

“We have also used machine learning to identify analogs of pyrethroids that are up to 100 times more effective than existing industry standards, like allethrin. This could have a significant impact on combating resistant mosquito populations.”

Four strategies for controlling mosquitoes

The research team has concentrated on four major strategies for enhancing mosquito control.

One of them is the creation of better topical repellents that have a good odor and are long-lasting, offering protection for 12 to 24 hours.

Another strategy focuses on spatial repellents, which form protective barriers around homes and outdoor areas to minimize the presence of mosquitoes.

To fight the increasing resistance of mosquito populations, the scientists are also discovering long-lasting pyrethroid analogs – novel molecules that will continue to be effective against resistant mosquitoes and are well suited for application in bed nets and clothing.

They are also developing improved spatial pyrethroid formulations to make current solutions more effective against resistant mosquito strains.

GM mosquitoes in the testing process

To gain a better insight into how such repellents operate, the researchers are using genetically modified mosquitoes to identify the sensory receptors that enable aversion to novel compounds.

In addition, they are screening volatile compounds for spatial protection and assessing new pyrethroid analogs to test their effectiveness against resistant populations of mosquitoes.

“By identifying and combining the most effective natural and synthetic compounds, we hope to deliver safe, affordable, and highly effective mosquito control solutions that could help reduce human exposure to disease vectors while improving quality of life in at-risk populations,” Ray said.

“We are looking for repellents that work as well as [being] cost-effective, easy to use, and culturally acceptable solutions. Based on our preliminary results, we are optimistic that the new compounds could soon be a new weapon in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases.”

Why mosquitoes prefer some people

The research team is also working on another NIH-funded study to determine why some people attract more mosquitoes than others.

While the sense of smell has been studied extensively, the role of taste in mosquito behavior is still not well understood.

“There’s a need for more effective repellents since DEET’s high cost and poor properties limit its use in tropical areas,” Ray explained. “We believe compounds in human skin, sweat, and microbiome metabolites could be key.”

This study aims to identify specific skin compounds that influence mosquito attraction and examine how different chemical signals affect mosquito behavior.

Researchers will test these compounds in behavioral experiments, focusing on those that impact both taste and smell.

“We will test these compounds in behavior assays, focus on those that affect taste or smell, and explore how blends of repellents may reduce mosquito attraction,” Ray said.

From research to real-world solutions

The work being done by this research team has already led to practical applications.

A previous NIH-funded project resulted in a product development plan from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a university spinoff company, Sensorygen.

This company has created a safe, natural insect repellent that is currently being evaluated for Environmental Protection Agency registration.

With continued research and innovation, machine learning may hold the key to smarter, more effective mosquito control solutions that could improve public health worldwide.

The full study was published in the journal eLife Neurosciences.

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