They already kill insects in fields, greenhouses, and gardens around the world. Now, a duo of fungi may also become a new weapon in the fight against malaria. In this issue of Science, two research groups report the results of lab experiments and field tests in Tanzania indicating that fungal spores can infect and kill adult Anopheles mosquitoes, the vectors of malaria parasites. Applied just like chemical pesticides, sprays containing the spores could be a new, environmentally friendly weapon against malaria, the researchers say.
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Martin Enserink (2005) studied this question.
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