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Illuminating Mosquito Vision: From Evolution to Disease Control

Secondary Supervisor(s): Professor Ezio Rosato

University of Registration: University of Leicester

BBSRC Research Themes:

• Understanding the Rules of Life (Neuroscience and Behaviour, Systems Biology)

Project Outline

Mosquitoes are among the deadliest animals on Earth because they transmit viruses such as Zika and parasites like malaria. With climate change and human activity expanding their habitats into new regions, including UK, the threat they pose is expected to increase. Light plays a central role in mosquito behaviour: it influences their activity cycles, biting responses, and even their ability to detect humans. Yet, the organisation of the mosquito visual system and the genetic basis of light perception remain poorly understood.

This PhD project will investigate how mosquitoes see and how their visual systems have evolved. You will combine cutting-edge methods from genomics, single-cell biology, and advanced imaging to explore three areas:

1)Gene evolution - tracing how light-sensitive opsins and phototransduction genes have diversified in different mosquito species.

2) Cell types - building a single-cell atlas of the mosquito eye and comparing males and females across key disease-vector species.

3) Visual circuits - mapping how these cell types are organised using high-resolution imaging techniques.

The project aims to uncover sex- and species-specific differences in mosquito vision that may ultimately help reduce their ability to locate humans.

You will gain expertise in both computational and experimental biology, from genome analysis to microscopy, while developing transferable skills in data handling and scientific communication. You will be part of the neurogenetics research group, with strong international links and excellent opportunities for training, collaboration, and publication in high-impact journals.