🌟 Say hello to a future with fewer mosquito bites! 🦟 Scientists have developed a groundbreaking device that can efficiently separate male and female mosquitoes, taking a massive leap forward in controlling mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever.
An international research team, featuring minds from Michigan State University, Jinan University, and Guangzhou Wolbaki Biotech Co., Ltd., unveiled their innovation in the journal Science Robotics this Wednesday.
With climate change and global travel 🛫, pesky mosquito-borne illnesses are on the rise. Traditional chemical methods aren't cutting it anymore—they harm the environment 🌍 and mosquitoes are growing resistant.
But here's the cool part: releasing male mosquitoes (they don't bite, we promise! 😌) to mate with wild females can control mosquito populations naturally. The catch? Separating millions of tiny male mosquitoes from females is like finding a needle in a haystack—until now!
Li Yongjun, associate professor at Jinan University, said, \"Studies have shown that releasing male mosquitoes can effectively control the wild mosquito population.\"
Enter the new automated device! 🖥️🔬 Developed by the team, it can stir, separate, and collect mosquito pupae super efficiently. According to Gong Juntao from Guangzhou Wolbaki Biotech, this machine can separate over 16 million male mosquitoes by working just eight hours a day, five days a week—a 17-fold increase over manual methods! 🚀
Gong mentioned, \"The results show that the automated device has the potential to effectively control tropical mosquito-borne diseases.\"
And it's not just staying in the lab. The device has already buzzed its way to 18 countries, including the United States 🇺🇸, Australia 🇦🇺, and Italy 🇮🇹.
This tech could be a total game-changer in our global fight against diseases like dengue fever. Here's to fewer bites and healthier nights! ✨
Reference(s):
Scientists achieve breakthrough in controlling mosquito-borne diseases
cgtn.com
