The role of the skin microbiome and host genetics in human attractiveness to mosquitoes

Mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue are responsible for over 700,000 deaths each year. Some people produce specific body odours that make them more attractive than others to mosquitoes and consequently are at higher risk of contracting vector-borne diseases. The differential attractiveness of individuals to mosquitoes have been attributed to the differences in the skin microbiome, body odour and genetics. However, the relative contributions of the skin microbiome, body odour and human genetics to attractiveness to mosquitoes are poorly understood. To date, no studies have gone beyond exploration of the role of the skin microbiome in human attractiveness to mosquitoes. In this thesis, the contribution of human genetics, the skin microbiome and body odour profile are investigated using twin cohorts from the UK and The Gambia to understand their effects on attractiveness to Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes. The results revealed distinct skin microbiome compositions between individuals with varying levels of attractiveness. However, there were no discernible differences in their volatile odour profiles. My findings suggest that variation in the attractiveness of people to mosquitoes is related to the composition of the skin microbiota, knowledge that could improve odour-based vector control methods. Additionally, the research extended to analysing the skin microbiome's impact on attractiveness to Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in another UK cohort. Differences in microbiome composition were confirmed between groups with high and low mosquito attractiveness. Attempts to transfer skin microbiomes from individuals less attractive to mosquitoes to those more attractive showed suggestive statistical evidence for a trend towards decreased mosquito attraction post-transfer