Main PI:Olivia Wesula Lwande, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University
Co-PIs:Yonas Meheretu, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Vincent Obanda, Kenya Wildlife Research and Training Institute (KWRTI)
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya continue to be significant global health threats. While considerable knowledge exists regarding these viruses, insufficient attention has been given to insect-specific viruses (ISVs) that naturally reside within mosquito populations. Although non-pathogenic to humans, ISVs can influence the replication of human-infecting arboviruses, thereby affecting the competence of mosquito vectors. Laboratory-reared mosquitoes often lose native ISVs, which may skew experimental outcomes and misrepresent transmission dynamics. This project tests the hypothesis that laboratory rearing and anthropogenic factors, such as bloodmeal sources (avian, rodent, human), modify the mosquito virome in ways that impact competence for dengue (DENV) and chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses. We will monitor virome shifts across laboratory generations of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus, assessing their effect on DENV and CHIKV transmission. Through virome sequencing, vector competence assays, and microbiome profiling, we will analyse how laboratory conditions reshape virus–virus and host–environment interactions. This interdisciplinary project—connecting UCMR’s virology team, SLU’s expertise in disease ecology, and Kenya’s WRTI field knowledge—aims to refine vector competence protocols by integrating virome dynamics and ecological relevance, ultimately improving predictive models of arbovirus risk.
Objectives
1. To systematically quantify the erosion of insect-specific viruses (ISVs) across successive laboratory generations of mosquitoes.
2. To investigate the functional relationship between changes in the mosquito virome and arbovirus transmission dynamics.
3. To assess the impact of bloodmeal source on the composition of the mosquito virome and its potential influence on vector competence.
The project involves a range of experimental and analytical techniques, including mosquito rearing and infection assays with dengue and chikungunya viruses, vector competence testing, and virome/microbiome profiling using next-generation sequencing. The postdoc will perform RNA extraction, qRT-PCR, and molecular analyses, alongside bioinformatics processing of sequencing data to characterize virus–virus and host–microbiome interactions.
About the PIs and their synergies
This project is led by a multidisciplinary team across UCMR, SLU, and KWRTI, bringing together complementary expertise in virology, disease ecology, and environmental microbiology. Principal Investigator Dr. Olivia Wesula Lwande, a Research Fellow and Docent at UCMR, is an expert in arbovirus–mosquito interactions, RNA virus biology, microbial ecology, and insect symbioses. Co-PI Dr. Yonas Meheretu, a researcher at SLU, contributes essential expertise in disease ecology and the One Health framework, providing ecological context to experimental findings and enhancing the translational relevance of laboratory models. Co-PI Dr. Vincent Obanda, Principal Research Scientist at KWRTI, adds deep knowledge of host–virome–environment interactions and vector-borne disease dynamics under natural and anthropogenic pressures.
Together, their integrated expertise bridges molecular virology with ecological systems science, enabling a holistic understanding of arbovirus transmission. This collaboration supports co-supervision, capacity building, and international knowledge exchange, while reinforcing UCMR’s global partnerships and aligning with SLU’s and KWRTI’s ecological health research priorities.
