Rejane’s research focuses on identifying the proteins present in the stomach of the mosquito that transmits malaria, Anopheles darlingi. Studies with mosquitos of a related species documented the presence of a protein in its stomach capable of blocking the parasite that causes malaria, Plasmodium vivax. According to Rejane, this protein could be used in the laboratory to develop insecticides and larvicides that could stop this parasite from developing inside its host; developing products to eliminate this mosquito parasite without harming humans or the environment is a major focus of the World Health Organization. Rejane de Castro Simões used mass spectrometry to identify and characterize peptides found in the stomachs of adult mosquitos fed with blood from volunteers infected with malaria. “I always wanted to develop something that could give back to the community. It’s as if I owed back what the community invested in me. It’s only fair. It’s because of their taxes that we are here.”
Facility: LNBio/Mass Spectrometry Laboratory
