Parsing Science: The unpublished stories behind the world’s most compelling science, as told by the researchers themselves.

Why do mosquitoes prefer us over other animals? In episode 94, we talk with Zhilei Zhao and Lindy McBride from Princeton about their research into how mosquitoes that can carry dangerous diseases - such as Zika, dengue, West Nile virus and malaria - are able to track us down so quickly while ignoring other warm-blooded animals; an ability they’ve developed in just the past few thousand years. Their preprint manuscript “Chemical signatures of human odour generate a unique neural code in the brain of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes,” was posted to BioRXiv with multiple other co-authors on November 2, 2020.

How Mosquitoes Target Us - Zhilei Zhao & Lindy McBrideHow Mosquitoes Target Us - Zhilei Zhao & Lindy McBrideHow Mosquitoes Target Us - Zhilei Zhao & Lindy McBride How Mosquitoes Target Us - Zhilei Zhao & Lindy McBrideHow Mosquitoes Target Us - Zhilei Zhao & Lindy McBrideHow Mosquitoes Target Us - Zhilei Zhao & Lindy McBride {{svg_share_icon}}Click bottom of waveform to add your commentsSubscribe: iTunes | Google Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | RSS jQuery(document).ready(function ($){var settings_ap7680 = { design_skin: "skin-wave" ,autoplay: "off",disable_volume:"default" ,loop:"off" ,cue: "on" ,embedded: "off" ,preload_method:"metadata" ,design_animateplaypause:"default" ,skinwave_dynamicwaves:"off" ,skinwave_enableSpectrum:"off" ,skinwave_enableReflect:"on",playfrom:"off",default_volume:"default",disable_scrub:"off",soundcloud_apikey:"" ,skinwave_comments_enable:"on",settings_php_handler:window.ajaxurl,skinwave_mode:"alternate",skinwave_wave_mode:"canvas",pcm_data_try_to_generate: "on","pcm_notice": "off","notice_no_media": "on",design_color_bg: "111111",design_color_highlight: "FF4C65",skinwave_wave_mode_canvas_waves_number: "3",skinwave_wave_mode_canvas_waves_padding: "1",skinwave_wave_mode_canvas_reflection_size: "0.25",skinwave_wave_mode_canvas_mode:"normal",preview_on_hover:"off",skinwave_comments_playerid:"7680",embed_code:""

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Websites and other resources

Zhilei's Twitter, website & Twitter thread on this research

Lindy's Twitter & lab website

Podcast interview with Lindy on Pew's Scientists at Work

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News and Media

CNN | Head Topics

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