Project Grant R01AI195451

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded Kansas State University $738,183 on July 20, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to characterize the immunoregulatory protease network that controls melanization in Anopheles gambiae, the African malaria mosquito vector.

The research identifies molecular interactions that regulate phenoloxidase activation and melanization cascade proteases, with the objective of understanding how protease dysregulation affects mosquito fitness, longevity, biting frequency, and competence for bacterial, fungal, and malaria parasite infection. The project pursues three specific aims: determine the roles of newly identified caspase-related proteases (CSP and CSPHS) in the melanization network; identify the molecular environments of those proteases; and build the molecular interaction network governing the cascade. The long-term goal is to define proteolytic systems regulating mosquito immunity to predict and manipulate vector-pathogen interactions and support efficacy monitoring of novel vector control strategies employing microbial agents and genetic manipulation methods including gene drive, male sterility, Wolbachia-based approaches, and fungal biocontrol.

Work is performed in Kansas, USA. The award period runs from July 20, 2026, through June 30, 2031. This is a Project Grant, the standard mechanism for investigator-initiated research under the NIAID program supporting biomedical research in infectious diseases and related areas.