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Reposted by Álvaro Acosta Serrano

Dr Joanne Power @hanniepower.bsky.social · 29d

Save the dates!! @bspparasitology.bsky.social Spring Meeting 2026 will be in Bonnie Glasgow! 7-9 April 2026, with a drinks reception in Glasgow City Chambers on the 6th of April 2026!
Keep an eye on the BSP website for registration and abstract submission!
Logo by @shannaraeilean.bsky.social! 🦟

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Zachary Stavrou - Dowd @zstavdowd.bsky.social · Aug 11

Marvel hasn’t called yet, but “Mosquito Slayer: Origin” has a nice ring to it.....

Thank you for covering our work

@aacostaserrano.bsky.social @lstmnews.bsky.social @notredame.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1186/s130...

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Ana Flores-Mireles @afloresmireles.bsky.social · Aug 7

Check out this awesome study from our Notre Dame colleagues, @aacostaserrano.bsky.social and Lee Haines!! Nitisinone kills insecticide-resistant mosquitoes through cuticular uptake

parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

The β-triketone, nitisinone, kills insecticide-resistant mosquitoes through cuticular uptake - Parasites & Vectors

Background Insecticide resistance in disease-transmitting arthropods of agricultural, veterinary, and public health significance poses a significant threat to vector control programs worldwide. Previo...

parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com

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Zachary Stavrou - Dowd @zstavdowd.bsky.social · Aug 7

Just out: LSTM’s blog post on our latest paper exploring how nitisinone kills malaria mosquitoes, even the resistant ones, through tarsal contact.

From rare disease drug to vector control tool.

@aacostaserrano.bsky.social

📄 Paper: doi.org/10.1186/s130...

#malaria #vectorcontrol #entomology #HPPD

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Álvaro Acosta Serrano @aacostaserrano.bsky.social · Aug 1

Here we show that #nitisinone kills insecticide-resistant mosquitoes via cuticular uptake. Great work Zach Stavrou-Dowd, Lee Haines, & LITE. Thanks @gatesfoundation.bsky.social & @RoseTrees Trust @notredame.bsky.social @lstmnews.bsky.social parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

The β-triketone, nitisinone, kills insecticide-resistant mosquitoes through cuticular uptake - Parasites & Vectors

Background Insecticide resistance in disease-transmitting arthropods of agricultural, veterinary, and public health significance poses a significant threat to vector control programs worldwide. Previo...

parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com

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Álvaro Acosta Serrano @aacostaserrano.bsky.social · Aug 1

I’m glad to hear that. You guys are always welcome to use our facility.

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Kristin Michel @kmichel.bsky.social · May 2

New paper from the lab:
Bianca Morejon defines the regulatory protease network that governs #mosquito #immunity
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

The expanded immunoregulatory protease network in mosquitoes is governed by gene coexpression | PNAS

Serine protease cascades regulate key innate immune responses. Their activation cleaves a series of inactive protease zymogens, which then activate...

www.pnas.org

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Álvaro Acosta Serrano @aacostaserrano.bsky.social · Apr 16

theconversation.com/ivermectina-...

Ivermectina y nitisinona: las dos últimas armas antimosquitos para luchar contra la malaria

La creciente resistencia de los plasmodios y de sus mosquitos vectores frente a fármacos e insecticidas está incentivando la elaboración de nuevas herramientas terapéuticas contra la malaria.

theconversation.com

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Álvaro Acosta Serrano @aacostaserrano.bsky.social · Apr 11

www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/int... Many thanks to Chris Smith and the @NakeScientists for the short podcast about our recent publication on #Nitisinone & #Anopheles #mosquitoes

Safe human drug can poison mosquitoes

Another potential mitigation for malaria...

www.thenakedscientists.com

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Heather Ferguson @drheatherferg.bsky.social · Apr 3

Good news - after 76 yrs with no new drug for rhodiensese Human African Trypanosomiasis, @who.int has faciliated research, development & now delivery ofmore effective fexinidazole to replace suramin & melarsoprol. Huge benefit given harsh side effects of the latter.

www.who.int/news/item/07...

WHO delivers fexinidazole to Malawi and Zimbabwe – a long-awaited safer treatment for rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis

In a major breakthrough for rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis (r-HAT) treatment, in August 2024 WHO recommended fexinidazole to replace suramin and melarsoprol as the first-line treatment for ...

www.who.int

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Álvaro Acosta Serrano @aacostaserrano.bsky.social · Mar 28

Thanks Jason Bittle & National Geographic @hgl7.bsky.social 4 the nice piece www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti... about our recent paper on nitisinone & malaria control www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

To fight malaria, scientists want to poison mosquitoes—with human blood

Low doses of a drug already approved for treating rare genetic conditions in humans kills mosquitoes dead. Scientists say it could be a valuable new tool in the fight against disease.

www.nationalgeographic.com

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Álvaro Acosta Serrano @aacostaserrano.bsky.social · Mar 28

Thanks @freddyfrischknecht.bsky.social it has been a long road, as usual…

Freddy Frischknecht @freddyfrischknecht.bsky.social · Mar 28

So good to see this out. I remember vividly when you first talked about it at BoP. Spectacular discovery. Congratulations to you and the team.

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Antonio Martínez Ron @aberron.bsky.social · Mar 27

Un grupo de investigadores descubre que la nitisinona, que ya se emplea como fármaco contra enfermedades raras, es más eficaz contra los mosquitos que la ivermectina y podría ser una alternativa en la lucha contra la malaria

Un nuevo compuesto prometedor contra la malaria: convierte tu sangre en veneno para los mosquitos

Un grupo de investigadores descubre que la nitisinona, que ya se emplea como fármaco contra enfermedades raras, es más eficaz contra los mosquitos que la ivermectina y podría ser una alternativa en la...

www.eldiario.es

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Álvaro Acosta Serrano @aacostaserrano.bsky.social · Mar 28

A team effort!

Giancarlo Biagini @giancarlo1-618.bsky.social · Mar 27

Delighted that this work is finally out. A great piece of innovative translational research involving a multidisciplinary team led by @aacostaserrano.bsky.social, many congratulations to all co-authors 👏👏👏👏

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine @lstmnews.bsky.social · Mar 27

A drug used to treat rare genetic disorders also makes human blood lethal to mosquitoes, research shows.

This offers a promising new vector control strategy at a time when growing insecticide resistance threatens global malaria management progress.

lstm.ac/nitisinone

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Álvaro Acosta Serrano @aacostaserrano.bsky.social · Mar 27

Muchas gracias @elenagomez-diaz.bsky.social y Carlos!

Elena Gómez-Díaz @elenagomez-diaz.bsky.social · Mar 27

Nuevo artículo de @aberron.bsky.social sobre el estudio de @aacostaserrano.bsky.social en el que se descubre la fuerte actividad mosquiticida de la Niconitisinona, un fármaco utilizado en enfermedades raras. Comento junto con Carlos Chaccour el potencial de su reutilización contra la #malaria

Antonio Martínez Ron @aberron.bsky.social · Mar 27

📌 Un nuevo compuesto prometedor contra la malaria: convierte tu sangre en veneno para los mosquitos www.eldiario.es/1_b9a656?utm...

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Antonio Martínez Ron @aberron.bsky.social · Mar 26

Ya para socios: Un nuevo compuesto prometedor contra la malaria: convierte tu sangre en veneno para los mosquitos

Un nuevo compuesto prometedor contra la malaria: convierte tu sangre en veneno para los mosquitos

Un grupo de investigadores descubre que la nitisinona, que ya se emplea como fármaco contra enfermedades raras, es más eficaz contra los mosquitos que la ivermectina y podría ser una alternativa en la...

www.eldiario.es

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Álvaro Acosta Serrano @aacostaserrano.bsky.social · Mar 26

Glad this is finally out. Using pharmacokinetic modeling we show that #nitisinone, an FDA-approved drug 4 #Tyrosinemia & #Alkaptonuria, kills #Anopheles mosquitoes, outperforming #Ivermectin. Grateful to all primary author’s & fantastic collaborators!

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Anopheles mosquito survival and pharmacokinetic modeling show the mosquitocidal activity of nitisinone

Nitisinone reduces survival of the malaria-transmitting mosquito Anopheles gambiae by blocking tyrosine catabolism.

www.science.org

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mara lawniczak @marakat.bsky.social · Feb 24

globally, there are ~3500 described mosquito species in the Culicidae family and many of these are important vectors of disease but only a small percentage have genomic resources. we are launching a pilot project to generate high quality reference genomes for 100 important mosquito species [1/3]

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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Feb 21

PLOS has issued a statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity.

We are determined to stand firmly behind our mission, our values and our principles, and against any attempt at censorship or undermining of the core principles of scientific inquiry.

plos.io/3D4O8cH

PLOS statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity - The Official PLOS Blog

Since its founding over twenty five years ago PLOS has been dedicated to advancing open science, ensuring that knowledge is accessible to…

plos.io

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Heather Ferguson @drheatherferg.bsky.social · Feb 19

'I log on & am bombarded by pictures of things happening outside of Burundi..A non-elected billionaire is answering qs in the Oval Office. He is well-fed & cost of his clothing alone could probably sustain the children in my hospital for a yr. I wonder how we will feed the malnourished babies 2mrw'

Vinay Kampalath @vinayk.bsky.social · Feb 19

A gut punch

time.com/7258248/us-f...

What Gutting USAID Means for My Young Patients in Burundi

“To my patients and their mothers, I offered apologies from the American people,” writes Dr. Jennifer Furin.

time.com

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Science Magazine @science.org · Feb 10

Breaking news: 22 states are suing to block NIH’s cutting of indirect costs.

See our updated story on the Friday night news and its aftermath. scim.ag/4hTJQ6v

NIH slashes overhead payments for research, sparking outrage and lawsuit

Move to cut indirect cost rate to 15% could cost universities billions of dollars

scim.ag

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · Feb 10

Hey #fungal people - the applications for this years MOMY course are open! Wonderful course in a wonderful place with wonderful people. Check it out here: www.mbl.edu/education/ad...

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · Feb 6

🚨 We are recruiting for two post-doc positions!🚨

1) Development of genetic tools to study mosquito immune cells isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/IowaStateJob...

2) Role of mosquito immune cells in immune recognition and priming isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/IowaStateJob...

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Siegel Lab @siegel-lab.bsky.social · Jan 16

I’m very much looking forward to attending the symposium and to celebrate the career of Mark Carrington.

British Society for Parasitology @bspparasitology.bsky.social · Jan 16

🚨 Retirement Symposium for Prof Mark Carrington of the University of Cambridge

Our #Trypanosoma colleagues may want to attend this symposium in Cambridge on the 𝟐𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡, 2025 (register by the 15th!)
- Details at QR code & tinyurl.com/2uw8tryu

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Álvaro Acosta Serrano @aacostaserrano.bsky.social · Feb 3

This work would not have been possible without the expertise and dedication of Zachary Stavrou-Dowd and Lee Haines, as well as the fruitful collaboration of Rosemary Lees and colleagues from the Liverpool Insect Testing Establishment (LITE).