Blog Post# 3

     Have you ever wondered how out of all the things in nature a mosquito is strangely drawn to you? Well this is no coincidence because whenever a mosquito needs a blood meal it can pick up on certain chemicals in our sweat using an olfactory sensor. It is basically capable of detecting the scent of our smelly sweat and following it. Now it makes sense why they are so drawn to humans on a hot summer day. The ability to do this comes from a special receptor called “Ir8A” found on the antennae of the female mosquito that detects lactic acid that is commonly present in human sweat. While this ability allows for the mosquito to get within close proximity of a human, the mosquito uses thermal detection to actually land on its prey. The range of effectiveness of this olfactory receptor is around 30 feet. This is one of the many ways that mosquitos have evolved to attack us. Now there’s no need to fear because since we are aware of the specific receptor, scientists are actually working on a perfume or deodorant that we can use to repel the mosquitos by blocking this receptor. Though there will still be the thermal detection to worry about but that’s not as accurate at pointing out humans. Research on this ability might allow us to find a large-scale scent blocker that can be utilized to clear a certain area of these pesky pests. 

Citations:

• “NPR Choice Page”. Org, 2020, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/03/28/706838786/how-mosquitoes-sniff-out-human-sweat-to-find-us.

• “Mosquitoes Detect Human Sweat By Sniffing For Volatile Acids”. Chemical & Engineering News, 2020, https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/biochemistry/Mosquitoes-detect-human-sweat-sniffing/97/web/2019/03.

Image citation:  Tauxe, Genevieve M., et al. “Targeting a Dual Detector of Skin and CO2 to Modify Mosquito Host Seeking.” Cell, Cell Press, 5 Dec. 2013, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867413014268.