Kafatos:Habtewold, Tibebu

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Tibebu Habtewold Division of Cell & Molecular Biology South Kensington Campus, SAF London, SW72AZ UK t.habtewold[at]imperial.ac.uk

Medical and Veterinary Entomologist Research Intrest Natural refractoriness in malaria vector and non-vector mosquitoes is an ancestral virtue. My research involves dissecting genetic causes of refractoriness in malaria vector and non-vector mosquitoes of Afro-tropical region, An. gambiae complex. I use molecular genetics and proteomic approaches to isolate candidate genes conferring refractoriness, and use RNAi technology for functional the candidate genes, e.g. depleting of peritrophic membrane genes on Anopheles gambiae to determent their effects on midgut invasion by plasmodium parasite. My researchs involve colonisation and maintaining mosquito population, genetic crossing between different mosquito lines and infections of female mosquitoes with rodent malaria parasites P. berghei or human malaria parasite P. falciparum. In the past, I had researched on the interactions between malaria-vectors, humans and livestock in a typical rural African village with the aim to develop insecticide treated cattle for integrated control of vector born diseases of human and livestock. My future research interest is possibility of using symbiotic bacteria as a vehicle to deliver dsRNA of targeting gene/s that affect physiological or vectorial efficiency of medically or economically important insects. Education 2000-2004 PhD in Medical and Veterinary Entiomology, the University of Greenwich, NRI, UK 1998/2000 MSc in International Animal Health, University of Edinburgh, CTVM, UK 1988-1893 Doctor of the Degree of Veterinary Medicine, Addis Ababa University, FVM, Ethiopia Publications Habtewold T, Povelones M, Blagborough AM, Christophides GK. Transmission blocking immunity in the malaria non-vector mosquito Anopheles quadriannulatus species A. PLoS Pathog. 2008 May 23;4(5):e1000070. Habtewold T, Prior A, Torr SJ, Gibson G. Could insecticide-treated cattle reduce Afrotropical malaria transmission? Effects of deltamethrin-treated Zebu on Anopheles arabiensis behaviour and survival in Ethiopia. Med Vet Entomol. 2004 Dec;18(4):408-17. Habtewold T, Walker AR, Curtis CF, Osir EO, Thapa N. The feeding behaviour and Plasmodium infection of Anopheles mosquitoes in southern Ethiopia in relation to use of insecticide-treated livestock for malaria control. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2001 Nov-Dec;95(6):584-6.