Wolbachia as a tool for the control of mosquito-borne disease

The main focus of Steven's research group is Wolbachia, an inherited intracellular bacterium, and its interactions with mosquitos. Wolbachia can manipulate host reproduction by inducing crossing sterility known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), allowing rapid population spread. It occurs naturally in many mosquito species and can also be artificially transferred from other insects. Certain introduced strains can strongly inhibit the transmission of mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue and parasites such as Plasmodium (malaria). Current work focuses on the mechanisms of virus inhibition and CI, and how they can be used for disease control.