How mosquitoes time their bites

How mosquitoes time their bites

Author: PNAS February 9, 2026 Duration: 9:53

Molecular regulation of mosquito biting timing

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

In this episode, Laura Duvall introduces a potential pathway for disrupting the biting behavior of mosquitoes.

In this episode, we cover:
•[00:00] Introduction
•[00:57] Mosquito neuroscientist Laura Duvall introduces us to the normal biting behavior of mosquitoes.
•[02:46] She tells why the biting behavior of the Aedes aegypti mosquito is of particular interest.
•[03:24] Duvall describes findings regarding how mosquitoes' responses to CO2 vary over times of day.
•[05:37] She introduces the PDF peptide that might be regulating timing of biting behavior and explains how losing that peptide changed mosquitoes' behavior.
•[08:07] Duvall talks about the takeaways from the study for control of mosquito-borne illnesses.
•[08:53] She lists the caveats and limitations of the study.
•[09:26] Conclusion.

About Our Guest:

Laura Duvall
Assistant Professor
Columbia University

View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2520826122

Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast 

Follow PNAS:
Twitter/X
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


Tune into PNAS Science Sessions for a direct line to the people shaping modern science. Produced by PNAS, this podcast offers more than just summaries of published research; it’s where you hear the candid, often personal stories behind the headlines. Each episode features concise conversations with the researchers themselves-from emerging voices to established Academy members-alongside the policymakers whose decisions are informed by this work. You’ll get a genuine sense of the questions that drive these experts, the unexpected hurdles they face in their labs and field studies, and why their findings matter right now. The scope is deliberately wide, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of science itself, covering discoveries that range from microscopic processes to planetary-scale phenomena. This isn't about dry lectures, but about capturing the human endeavor of investigation. For anyone curious about how science actually unfolds and wants to understand the context of breakthroughs as they happen, this podcast serves as an essential, engaging resource. It connects the dots between a published paper in a prestigious journal and the real-world implications that ripple out from it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

PNAS Science Sessions
Podcast Episodes
Ocean voyages and disease spread [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:06
How pathogen stowaways traversed the oceans Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific communi…
Why twisters target the United States [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:44
Why "Tornado Alley" is unique to North America Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific comm…
Creating culturally inclusive schools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:00
Creating culturally inclusive school environments Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific c…
How redlining affects biodiversity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:27
How redlining affects biodiversity Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn…
Animal's eye view of the ocean [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:55
Animal's eye view of the ocean Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the…
Inequitable exposure to wildfire smoke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:40
Inequitable wildfire smoke exposure in California Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific c…
Gentrification and biodiversity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:07
Biodiversity and gentrification Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn th…
School enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:10
School enrollment during COVID-19 Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn…
Emotional power of live music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:31
Emotional power of live music Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the…
Adapting to poor air quality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:30
Adapting to poor air quality Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the b…