Project:

Identifying mosquitoes with DNA Barcoding

Students:

Noah Carey, Abel Cuevas, Alexander Cosci, Joseph Lee

School:

West Babylon Senior High School,

Mentors:

Andrea Durbin

Abstract:

There are an estimated over 50 species of mosquitoes on Long Island, with the most prominent being the Northern House Mosquito (Culex pipiens) and the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus). However, there are many other species such as the Yellow Fever Mosquito, the Eastern Saltmarsh Mosquito, and the Common Malaria Mosquito. Mosquitoes move to warmer areas due to the fact that they have sensitive sensing receptors which causes them to be drawn to heat. Mosquitoes also can detect CO2 from almost 30 feet away, and are also attracted to water. This is what causes people who generate more heat, CO2, and Sweat, like runners, to be more susceptible to being bitten. If our climate keeps changing and getting hotter, the mosquitoes will have a higher population due to the increased area of heat. Most mosquitoes are hard to tell the difference between because they all have similar appearances. However, differences in the barcoding sequence called polymorphism can be found. These changes can b

Poster:

Team samples: