"Are you a magnet for mosquitoes?" asks Dina Maron, an editor at Scientific American. This is a very interesting question. People around the world have often wondered what makes them more attractive to these pesky little critters. James Logan, a medical scientist that studies insects, says, "We know very little about the genetics of what makes us attractive to mosquitoes." Thus Logan and his team of researchers are going to investigate if these human genetics actually do play a role in alluring mosquitoes.
"Scientists that study human odors and genetics have previously suggested scent cues associated with genetics are likely controlled via the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes. Those genes appear to play a role in odor productions and also in mammals' mating choices...," says Maron. In this specific study, Logan and his team plan on collecting used socks from 200 identical and nonidentical twins from the UK and the Gambia in Africa, putting the socks in a wind tunnel, and seeing where the mosquitoes are more attracted to. The researchers are hoping to analyze the odor that comes from the socks, whether it has attractive or repellent chemicals. Identical twins tend to smell alike more than nonidentical twins, so ideally they would have the same attractive or repellent chemicals. "If we can identify important genes, perhaps we could develop a pill or medication that would allow the body to produce natural repellents to keep mosquitoes away," says Logan.
A previous study was done in 2015 to determine what mosquitoes tend to be more attracted to. They seem to be more attracted to those that exhale more carbon dioxide and consequently to taller, larger people, whether because of the greater body surface area or the tendency to exhale more carbon dioxide. Pregnant women and those infected with malaria are also targets for mosquitoes.
I mainly chose this article because I seem to be one of those magnets for mosquitoes. I have always wondered why they tend to eat me up as opposed to my acquaintances, who seem to escape outdoor outings with zero suffering. If scientists, like Logan, can study the behavior of mosquitoes and come to a conclusion, I would be more likely to enjoy my time spent outdoors. As Logan explained, a medication or something similar could be produced that helps our bodies produce mosquito-repelling chemicals. Society as a whole would benefit greatly. Just imagine being able to enjoy nature without smelling like you bathed in chemicals and looking like you rolled through mosquito-infested field. KE
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This is really interesting! I, too, am a magnet for mosquitoes. I am battling four bites right now! I get bit quite often when I run, so this article explains why that is so. Hopefully they can isolate any genes that cause some people to 'smell' better to mosquitoes and generate a solution since that would make my summer and fall evenings a lot more pleasant. I'll be following their research for sure.
ReplyDeleteRachel Washburn