Maternal Effects and the host-pathogen-microbiome interactions in disease vectors.

The general field of the project is disease vector biology and evolutionary ecology. The objectives of the project are to develop and analyse mathematical models (e.g. dynamical systems models) for native microbiome and pathogen interactions within insect hosts, and the transgenerational effects of these interactions. The model predictions will then be tested in laboratory experiments, using viviparous tsetse flies and oviparous mosquitoes as model systems. The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of the relationships between insects and microbial symbionts, allowing predictions to be made of how perturbations in insect microbiomes could impact vectoral capacity, and the vectoral capacity of subsequent generations. These predictions could allow for the development of novel methods of reducing vector population sizes or pathogen transmission.

The project will take place jointly at University of Bristol and Macquarie University, under the supervision of Dr Sinead English and Dr Fleur Ponton, and in collaboration with Professor Mike Bonsall (Mathematical Ecology Research Group, University of Oxford).

This project falls within the EPSRC Mathematical Biology (Mathematical Sciences) research area.