About. The Ehime University- Molecular Ecology and Health Laboratory- launched a new project "Mosquito-borne Disease Control from Ecological Approaches" supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Core-to-Core Program, B. Asia - Africa Platform. This is a 3-year project (2021-2024), that aims to establish an international research program with core institutions in Asia and Africa. We plan to have research collaborations through symposiums, meetings, fieldwork, internship etc.) with the participating institutions.
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Established in April 2021Our research platform duration is for 3 years starting on April 2021 until March 2024. The main host institution is Ehime University in Matsuyama, Japan. We are fully funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) under the JSPS Core-to-Core Program B. Asia-Africa Science Platforms
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Our GoalOur goal is to establish research projects for the control of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue using molecular genetic techniques such as (RT)-PCR based, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and other approaches such modeling (e.g. machine learning) in collaboration with leading scientists from the 6 participating countries.
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RESEARCH EXCHANGE PLAN
Goals
Mosquito-borne infectious diseases such as dengue fever and malaria are prevalent on a global scale, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Mosquitoes are the most prolific killers of humans in the world. In developing countries, there are many poor people who cannot afford treatment, so it is important to take measures to prevent mosquito bites. The goal of this project is to establish "ecological research centers for mosquito-borne diseases" in Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Mozambique, and Singapore, focusing on mosquitoes.
There are two approaches to mosquito-borne diseases: 1) medical approaches, such as drug discovery and treatment, and 2) ecological approaches, such as reducing the distribution of mosquito populations and pathogen carrying rates. This center will focus mainly on the latter. In order to control mosquito egg-laying sites and larval habitats, and to spray insecticides based on the flight and blood-sucking behavior of adult mosquitoes, it is necessary to understand the ecology of mosquitoes. For example, if there is a model that predicts "climate change → frequent flooding → egg-laying and habitat expansion → increase in mosquitoes → increase in infection," it will contribute to urban planning to adapt to climate change (e.g., sewage system development). In addition, biological mechanisms that inhibit viral replication in mosquitoes can be used as biological technology to control infectious diseases.
Control of infectious diseases by focusing on mosquito ecology requires interdisciplinary integration of fields such as ecology, environmental engineering, molecular biology, and virology. Particularly in developing countries, there is an overwhelming shortage of specialists who are familiar with mosquitoes and other vector-borne organisms, which is necessary for the promotion of One Health, compared to the medical field, so human resource development is an urgent issue. This center will contribute to the development of human resources.
In order to establish an independent and continuous international research exchange center, the number of overseas satellite offices (currently four) and international joint research laboratories (currently one) established by Ehime University, the center in Japan, at partner research institutions in the partner country will be increased during the exchange period. We will also increase the number of cross appointments between researchers at Ehime University and partner institutions (currently one) to accelerate international personnel exchanges. Furthermore, in order to foster young researchers, young researchers and graduate students will plan and organize seminars held in the partner country every year to train young researchers in overseas management skills. Almost all of the participating researchers on the Japanese side are in their late twenties to early forties, and long-term development of the center is expected in the future.
There are two approaches to mosquito-borne diseases: 1) medical approaches, such as drug discovery and treatment, and 2) ecological approaches, such as reducing the distribution of mosquito populations and pathogen carrying rates. This center will focus mainly on the latter. In order to control mosquito egg-laying sites and larval habitats, and to spray insecticides based on the flight and blood-sucking behavior of adult mosquitoes, it is necessary to understand the ecology of mosquitoes. For example, if there is a model that predicts "climate change → frequent flooding → egg-laying and habitat expansion → increase in mosquitoes → increase in infection," it will contribute to urban planning to adapt to climate change (e.g., sewage system development). In addition, biological mechanisms that inhibit viral replication in mosquitoes can be used as biological technology to control infectious diseases.
Control of infectious diseases by focusing on mosquito ecology requires interdisciplinary integration of fields such as ecology, environmental engineering, molecular biology, and virology. Particularly in developing countries, there is an overwhelming shortage of specialists who are familiar with mosquitoes and other vector-borne organisms, which is necessary for the promotion of One Health, compared to the medical field, so human resource development is an urgent issue. This center will contribute to the development of human resources.
In order to establish an independent and continuous international research exchange center, the number of overseas satellite offices (currently four) and international joint research laboratories (currently one) established by Ehime University, the center in Japan, at partner research institutions in the partner country will be increased during the exchange period. We will also increase the number of cross appointments between researchers at Ehime University and partner institutions (currently one) to accelerate international personnel exchanges. Furthermore, in order to foster young researchers, young researchers and graduate students will plan and organize seminars held in the partner country every year to train young researchers in overseas management skills. Almost all of the participating researchers on the Japanese side are in their late twenties to early forties, and long-term development of the center is expected in the future.
Outline
Collaborative research
The following four research topics will be addressed: 1) development of a model for predicting the risk of mosquito-borne infectious diseases under climate change; 2) estimation of infection transmission pathways based on genetic homology between pathogens detected in mosquitoes and patients; 3) functional analysis of proteins that inhibit virus multiplication in mosquito cells; and 4) technology for inhibiting virus infection by mosquito symbiotic bacteria. The advanced technologies to be developed will be shared while being arranged to suit the actual conditions of each country and city, and the utilization of the technologies will be promoted worldwide. In addition, we will contribute to the achievement of the third goal of SDGs (health and welfare) on a global scale by promoting the transfer of technology from developed countries to developing countries and the poorest countries.
Seminars
Seminars will be held in Japan in the first year, in the Philippines in the second year, and in Indonesia in the third year, with a scale of about 50 participants. The seminar will consist of 1.5 days of research presentations and discussions, 0.5 days of small-scale workshops divided into four research topics, and 1 day of visits to research facilities and fields. The seminar will be planned and organized by young researchers from Japan and the host country in order to foster young researchers. The opinions discussed in the seminar will be summarized and published as an opinion paper in an international journal.
Researcher exchange
In addition to the short-term exchange of young researchers, including graduate students, through the operation and participation in the seminar, we will accept researchers to Japan for a relatively long period of time (one to two months). We will also actively promote the dispatch of young researchers and graduate students (1 to 2 months) to satellite offices and joint research laboratories established in the partner country. Cross-appointments of researchers from the partner country to Ehime University will also be carried out with a target of 3 to 4 researchers per year, and international personnel exchanges between the centers will be promoted.