Mosquitomate, Inc.

University of Kentucky Research Foundation

Stephen L Dobson

Jim L Peyton

James William Mains

Hakim Sultanov

A method for sex sorting of mosquitoes generally comprises the steps of: providing a plate that includes multiple wells, with each of the multiple wells configured to receive a mosquito; filling each of the multiple wells with a predetermined volume of water; placing a mosquito in each of the multiple wells; capturing an image of each mosquito in each of the multiple wells; and analyzing each image to determine if each mosquito is male or female. Mosquitoes have distinct anatomical areas for identification, which are captured in the images and are used to determine if a mosquito is male or female. Furthermore, in some implementations, there is an additional step of exterminating each mosquito that is determined to be female.

System and method for sex sorting of mosquitoes

A system for sex sorting of mosquitoes generally comprises: (i) a plate or similar receptacle that includes multiple wells, with each of the multiple wells configured to receive a mosquito; and (ii) an imaging subsystem, including a camera for capturing images of the mosquito in each of the multiple wells and a computer for analyzing the captured images to determine whether each mosquito is male or female. Mosquitoes have distinct anatomical areas for identification, which are captured in the images and are used to determine if a mosquito is male or female. Furthermore, in some implementations, the system includes a suction device or other means for exterminating the unwanted mosquitoes after the determination of whether each mosquito is male or female.

A method is provided for producing an artificial infection in a Culicidae (mosquito) species. The mosquitoes include species within the subfamilies Culicinae and Anophelinae, and the species includeandinfected with ainfection. The infection may be a strain ofwhich does not normally or naturally infect the selected mosquito species. The artificially infectedmosquito can be introduced into a mosquito population to control the reproduction capability of the population by introducing an incompatibleinfection. The present method can be used as a novel means to limit mosquito-borne pathogens and thus control or prevent mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, lymphatic filariasis, etc.

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Lexington, KY, United States of America

Stephen L Dobson