Researchers at Keele University are partnering with colleagues in Mali to help them advance the fight against mosquito-borne diseases like malaria. 

Dr Roberto Galizi and colleagues from the School of Life Sciences have been working with ACEME (African Centre for Excellence in Molecular Engineering) to train researchers at the University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako/Malaria Research and Training Center (USTTB/MRTC) and help them to develop knowledge and technical expertise in their laboratories in Mali. 

This capacity-building partnership is enabling ACEME researchers to learn advanced skills in molecular engineering that could contribute to the development of innovative tools to control disease vectors, such as malaria-transmitting mosquitoes which still cause a huge burden and thousands of deaths in the African continent. 

The ACEME team has already acquired experience handling both genetically modified and wild mosquitoes, and this collaboration will help them to further their expertise in the development of genetically modified mosquitoes as a potential tool to control mosquito-borne diseases.  

The African Centre for Excellence in Molecular Engineering is being set up to provide a research and training platform for African researchers to contribute to cutting edge research in genetic engineering. 

Innovative genetic approaches can now be harnessed to boost the mosquito immune system so that they no longer transmit malaria; or alternatively be leveraged to decrease mosquito fertility, driving down mosquito numbers. Modelling studies suggest that both approaches could be used to curb malaria.  

The support provided by Keele scientists ranges from theoretical knowledge and training in the latest molecular and genetic engineering techniques, all the way through to supporting them with the acquisition of equipment and materials that the ACEME scientists will need to advance their research in the laboratories in Bamako. 

Dr Roberto Galizi, a Reader in Infectious Diseases at Keele University, said: “It’s an exciting journey for us and we are extremely pleased to help our colleagues from Mali to deliver such an ambitious project. It’s also impressive to see the quick progress they are making in becoming experts in the field, which is what we need to fight such serious human disease.” 

As part of the programme, one of ACEME’s co-investigators, Lakamy Sylla (pictured, credit: ACEME), has also been pursuing a PhD in Entomology at Keele over the past year and a half, focused on investigating a genetic approach that could be leveraged to reduce the number of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes – one of the main vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.   

Lakamy added: “For those who like me grew up in a malaria-endemic country, vector-borne diseases are more than a set of statistics – they are personal. I have endured malaria’s debilitating symptoms and witnessed countless friends and family members battle the disease multiple times.”  

“Genetic approaches for vector control, such as genetically modified mosquitoes, offer a promising approach in the fight against these diseases. By embracing innovations and scientific advancements, we can take meaningful steps towards a healthier future.”