As a 2024 Schmidt Science Fellow, Ajinkya aims to unravel how the nose of mosquitoes distinguishes between humans and other animals or plants.
Both male and female mosquitoes are vegans for most of their life, primarily feeding on nectar, plant sap, and fruits. But the female mosquito seeks human blood as nourishment for her developing eggs. How then does she locate a human for a blood meal?
This research has the potential to develop novel strategies to curtail the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.