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FALL SEMINAR SERIES

Building Local Capacity for Innovative Mosquito Control: Lessons from SIT and Nanotechnology Research

ZOOM ONLY | Dr. Hamidou Maïga will share insights on how innovative mosquito control, including Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and nanotechnology, is being used to combat vector-borne diseases.

Innovative and sustainable mosquito control approaches are urgently needed to address the growing challenge of vector-borne diseases in Africa. This presentation will showcase efforts to build local capacity for the development and implementation of advanced technologies, focusing on the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and nanotechnology-based interventions. Drawing from ongoing research worldwide, we will discuss the optimization of mosquito mass-rearing, irradiation, and release systems to enhance the efficiency of SIT programs. In parallel, we will highlight promising findings from studies on chemically and green-synthesized silver nanoparticles, which demonstrated strong larvicidal activity against both susceptible and insecticide-resistant strains of Anopheles coluzzii. These results underline the potential of nanotechnology as an eco-friendly and effective complement to traditional control tools. The presentation will also address challenges in developing nanotechnology-based approaches as a potential tool to reduce the burden of mosquito-borne diseases across Africa.

Related links:

• Blog: Governing Emerging Technologies: A Lesson from Burkina Faso, Nourou Barry and Katie Barnhill, 9/5/25
• Download seminar poster

Hamidou Maïga, PhD

Medical Entomologist at the Institute de Recherche en Sciences de la Sante, Direction Regionale de l’Ouest (IRSS-DRO), Burkina Faso | LinkedIn | Google Scholar | X

Dr. Hamidou Maïga is a medical entomologist whose research focuses on innovative mosquito control strategies to combat vector-borne diseases. He specializes in the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), contributing to the development and optimization of mosquito mass-rearing, irradiation, and release systems to enhance the effectiveness of SIT-based programs. Dr. Maïga has also initiated pioneering work on the application of nanotechnology in mosquito control, exploring eco-friendly, plant-based nanoparticle formulations as sustainable alternatives to conventional insecticides. His broader research aims to strengthen local scientific capacity and promote environmentally sound, genetics- and plant-based approaches to vector management across Africa

The Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Colloquium is a seminar series that brings in speakers to present and stimulate discussion on a variety of topics related to existing and proposed biotechnologies and their place within broader societal changes.

GES Colloquium is jointly taught by Drs. Katie Barnhill and Nourou Barry, and the seminars serve as a great opportunity for our students to build their networks and grow as professionals. To support their efforts, we encourage you to join our in-person seminars, which will now take place in Biltmore 2006.

Remember, we regularly post colloquium seminars as videos on Panopto and on our GES Lectures podcast, allowing you to revisit or catch up on these recordings at your convenience.

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