Projects per year
Organisation profile
Organisation profile
The research portfolio of the Unit of Entomology is fully in line with three “ITM Priority Research Themes 2020-2024 ”: Challenge 1: Emerging infections and outbreaks; Challenge 3. Disease Elimination; and Challenge 5. Sustaining health in a rapidly changing world.
Introduction
The Unit of Entomology, led by Prof Ruth Müller, aims to better understand the relationships between biodiversity, climate change and human health and to use this knowledge to control vector-borne diseases.
Our guiding questions are simple:
Our research lines
- Vector ecology: The understanding of vector ecology is fundamental for successful vector surveillance, vector prevention and vector control. We are using a multi-disciplinary approach to study the interaction of vector species and the environment in different regions of the world, and with a special focus on climate change.
- Vector biology: This interdisciplinary research line will generate a new understanding of the functional biology of larval competition, swarming & mating behavior, arboviral infections, and provide crucial knowledge about the mechanisms that underlie the fecundity and vector competence of vector species.
- Innovative vector control: Vector control is the applied part of our research portfolio and comprises trap development, development and assessment of biological, chemical and genetic vector control tools and the assessment of intervention studies. We test multiple approaches for vector control and test their usefulness for application, efficiency and social acceptance.
Main activities
- Our research encompasses the monitoring of (exotic) mosquitoes in Belgium and abroad, vector biological and vector ecological studies in the field and laboratory, testing and assessment of vector control tools, and contributing to intervention studies.
- We are looking in depth at the link between environment and mosquito-borne disease risks at ecological and social level in order to develop ecoregion specific vector control strategies and specific communication tools.
- We inform the government, private companies and citizens on exotic mosquitoes in Belgium and Germany, and insect-borne mosquitoes in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
- In the South, we collaborate with governmental and academic stakeholders and specifically provide training and expertise on entomological surveillance, integrative vector control strategies and assessment of the efficiency of vector-borne disease interventions.
- We inform governmental, private and academic stakeholders and citizens about the link of biodiversity and health and advise them on the link of vector-pathogen-host interactions and the environment and social factors in the special context of climate change.
Have a closer look to our projects
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Discover our research on the ecology of mosquitoes
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Help us to find exotic mosquitoes in Belgium
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Learn about the complexity of vector control
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Explore our entomological research in the Global South
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Our infection studies and pathogen screening in insects
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Familiarize with projects aiming for harmonized monitoring of vector-borne diseases in Europe and around the world
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Contact
Please do not hesitate to mail to: [email protected] to for more information.
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Profiles
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VECTORNET3: European Network for Medical and Veterinary Entomology
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
1/07/24 → 31/10/25
Project: Service
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Scabies1: Understanding the increase in scabies cases in Flanders
Colombe, S., Meudec, M., Kreppel, K., Laisnez, V., Dhaeze, W., Cosaert, T., Okeson, P., Brosius, I., de Gooyer, T., Van Bortel, W., Aljadeeah, S., Visser, J. & Stefani, G.
Flemish Government - Agency for Care & Health
1/12/23 → 31/03/25
Project: Research Project
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KAGB Beurs: Influence of biodiversity and climate change on mosquito-borne disease risk in Europe
Müller, R., Vanslembrouck, A., Leirs, H. & Müller, R.
Koninklijke Academie voor Geneeskunde van België
1/08/23 → 31/12/24
Project: Research Project
Research output
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Airport and luggage (Odyssean) malaria in Europe: a systematic review
Hallmaier-Wacker, LK., van Eick, M., Briët, O., Delamare, H., Falkenhorst, G., Houze, S., Noel, H., Rebolledo, J., Van Bortel, W. & Gossner, C., 2024, In: Eurosurveillance. 29, 41, 11 p., 2400237.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access -
Anti-CRISPR Anopheles mosquitoes inhibit gene drive spread under challenging behavioural conditions in large cages
D'Amato, R., Taxiarchi, C., Galardini, M., Trusso, A., Minuz, RL., Grilli, S., Somerville, AGT., Shittu, D., Khalil, AS., Galizi, R., Crisanti, A., Simoni, A. & Müller, R., 2024, In: Nature Communications. 15, 12 p., 952.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access -
A survey of Phlebotomine sand flies across their northern distribution range limit in Western Europe
Risueño, J., Bersihand, S., Bender, C., Cornen, T., De Boer, K., Ibáñez-Justicia, A., Rey, D., Rozier, Y., Schneider, A., Stroo, A., Vanslembrouck, A., Van Bortel, W., Weigand, A., Zambianchi, D., Pérez Cutillas, P., Oerther, S., Braks, M., Wint, W., Berriatua, E. & Schaffner, F., 27-May-2024, In: Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association. p. 1-11 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › A2: International peer reviewed article (not A1-type) › peer-review
Open Access