Head to Mosquitos

Female mosquitos get all the attention. They’re the ones with a thirst for blood, whose bite can transmit harmful pathogens causing diseases like malaria. Here though, focus turns to the more placid males as part of a huge study into the types of cells in the insects. A worldwide team of researchers mapped out a 'cell atlas' of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, using a technique called single-nucleus RNA sequencing to look for the genes switched on in structures all over the body, like this antenna (shown here with nuclei in blue). Although the atlas yields surprising similarities between the genomes of male and female flies, genes expressed in the antenna are an example of sexual dimorphism, perhaps suggesting different ways in which males and females sense the environment. The publicly-available atlas will no doubt help other groups of researchers learn more about mosquitos and stem the spread of diseases.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image by Alexandra DeFoe/The Rockefeller University; Research published by Olivia V. Goldman and colleagues
• Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
• Image copyright held by the original authors
• Research published in Cell, October 2025