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May 24, 2018

Heads up: Two-pump system in mosquitoes could hold answers for medicine, health


Even though mosquitoes have long been a nuisance to humans worldwide, scientists are still putting together the pieces of their biological puzzle. Researchers at Virginia Tech University have discovered the inner workings of a two-pump system in mosquitoes' heads. The pumps employ a continuous mode, a brief series of little slurps, and a burst mode, a long, single intake of fluid. The researchers aren't exactly sure why these pump modes exist; however, they believe this knowledge could help develop biomedical technologies and even combat mosquito-borne disease.

Credit: National Science Foundation


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