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Entomologist Raymond St. Leger Fights Mosquitoes with Fungi

/ 23 July 2025 /

In his lab at the University of Maryland, Distinguished University Professor of Entomology Raymond St. Leger works with mosquitoes that carry dangerous diseases such as malaria, Zika and dengue. 

He uses fungi in an attempt to find a biocontrol method that can kill disease-carrying mosquitoes and replace the chemical insecticides to which they have become resistant.

“In many parts of the world, you've got hundreds of different mosquitoes, all spreading disease,” St. Leger explained. “We have a method which can control all of them."

Mosquitoes have long been a nuisance in the United States, but recent outbreaks of malaria and Zika in Florida and Texas may be a sign of a greater danger ahead. St. Leger hopes his research can lead to new ways to fight the mosquitoes that carry diseases—and save lives.

About the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland educates more than 10,000 future scientific leaders in its undergraduate and graduate programs each year. The college's 10 departments and nine interdisciplinary research centers foster scientific discovery with annual sponsored research funding exceeding $250 million.