Pennsylvania-based startup Mosqitter, which makes chemical-free mosquito traps that mimic human heat, scent and breath, says it now has more than 5,000 devices deployed across five continents, up from roughly 250 in 2022. CEO Anastasiia Romanova told TechCrunch the company is turning these traps into an AI-powered monitoring network designed to identify mosquito species, track population changes and provide earlier warnings of disease risk.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-14
Researchers used cryo-electron microscopy to solve structures of the IR8a-IR75k receptor complex from the malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi, capturing it in ligand-free, ligand-bound, and open-channel states. The structures show how nonanoic and octanoic acid binding reshapes a pocket in IR75k, triggering domain closure that is mechanically transmitted to open the channel's pore, a mechanism confirmed through molecular dynamics simulations and electrophysiology experiments.
nature.com
· 2026-10-14
The US saw dengue cases jump to nearly 4,000 in 2024, a 360 percent rise over the prior decade's average, with local transmission in Florida, California, Texas and a public health emergency declared in Puerto Rico. Ten locally acquired malaria cases appeared in 2023, the first in twenty years, even as yellow fever-carrying mosquitoes remain present. Genetic engineering that makes male mosquitoes' offspring unable to survive, collapsing local populations, has existed since 2000 but has been stuck in regulatory limbo for roughly fifteen years.
worksinprogress.co
· 2026-10-04
WIRED's product testing roundup evaluates personal repellent devices and yard-based mosquito control tools, including the Thermacell E-ZoneGuard E55, a rechargeable device that heats metofluthrin to create a repelling vapor cloud. The review draws on multiple years of hands-on testing of insecticides, vapor repellents and mosquito traps to determine which methods genuinely reduce mosquito presence around homes and yards.
wired.com
· 2026-10-03
Thermacell has released LIV 2.0, an upgraded version of its whole-yard mosquito repellent system, replacing nearly all original hardware components except the connecting cables. The reviewer, who previously tested and praised the original LIV two years ago, received the new units directly from the company to evaluate improvements. The core design remains the same: Wi-Fi-enabled hubs plug into wall power and connect via cables to multiple pesticide-emitting repellers spaced up to 20 feet apart in a perimeter.
wired.com
· 2026-09-20
The 2026 Ig Nobel Prizes, which recognize offbeat but scientifically valid research, were awarded for studies including a splash-free urinal design, using mosquito mouthparts to print tiny nozzles, decomposition rates of buried underwear, and the physics of blowing one's nose. For the first time in 35 years, the ceremony left Boston and was held in Zurich, Switzerland, with future events planned for Antwerp in 2027 and returning to Zurich in even-numbered years after.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-03
Six male employees working in different roles and locations at a German airport contracted malaria, with two later dying from the disease. Officials suspect the infections stemmed from a mosquito that arrived on an incoming flight, and are now testing blood samples to determine whether one insect or several were responsible.
bbc.com
· 2026-08-27
GoKawiil