Applications of Vibrational Spectroscopy in the Fight Against Vector-Borne Diseases

Vibrational spectroscopy is a technique that uses infrared light to discover chemical, biological and structural information about a variety of samples. We have applied this method, along with multivariate statistics, to screen mosquitoes for the presence of the disease-suppressing bacteria Wolbachia pipientis in a rapid, cheap, and accurate manner. We have developed predictive models for use with either adult mosquitoes or their eggs; within the latter we were even able to distinguish between two different strains of Wolbachia.