Named the substances by which dangerous mosquitoes find a person

Research leader Carolyn McBride and her team developed a genetically modified (GM) line of mosquitoes that

which contained genes for fluorescent proteins that were activated in neurons during their work.

Also, scientists have created a laboratory installation,which tracked this activity in response to odors. Next, they used scents from 16 volunteers, as well as animals - rats, hamsters, partridges, sheep and dogs.

To study how mosquitoes react to the smell of people and animals, the authors took Aedes aegypti, a species of mosquito that carries dangerous diseases and prefers to bite people.

As a result, the authors found that Aedes aegyptieffectively recognizes the smell of people. At the same time, there are 60 nerve ganglia in the insect brain, but only two nerve centers were active during the experiment. The first reacts to the appearance of any interesting odors, and the second confirms that there is a person nearby.

Insects react to volatile compounds,which both animals and humans have - the difference is only in proportion. The team concluded that the key were two volatile compounds that indicated human presence. These are decanal and undecanal.

But you can make a special solution based on these compounds and lure mosquitoes into a trap.

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