MOSQUAREL (Aerial Release of Mosquitoes)
The MOSQUAREL project (ERC PoC) was developed as an extension of the REVOLINC project (ERC Consolidator grant no. 682387), which aims at developing environmentally-friendly alternatives to fight insects invasions through the development of biological technologies to control three types of pest insects (mosquitoes, tsetse flies and Mediterranean fruit flies), two of which are presently invading Europe. We want to improve the « sterile insect technique » which consists in mass rearing male insects, sterilizing them by radiation and releasing them into the environment, where they compete with their wild, non-sterile counterparts to reproduce. The « boosted sterile insect technique » consists in ensuring that the males also transmit biopesticides to the females that kill them or their progeny. It is mandatory to develop alternative methods to insecticides that raise concern for their toxicity for health and environment, particularly against mosquito vectors in the context of Zika virus epidemics.
The proposed technology necessitates the release of sterile males, preferably by air. Before this project, there was no aerial system to release mosquitoes which were all released by ground using obsolete methods (cages open at the back of a vehicle…).
In MOSQUAREL, we initiated a collaboration with a private company (MAPA technology, Spain) to refine a mosquito release systems carried by drones in compliance with EU regulations. We also demonstrated the efficiency of the technology developed to release sterile male mosquitoes in urban environments (Aedes albopictus in La Réunion island, France and Aedes albopictus in Montpellier, France). It was however not possible to develop a drone that may warrant secured releases in an urban environment. After discussions with several drone manufacturers, we concluded that a drone used for other compatible aerial work should be used rather than a custom-made drone for our release system. Finally, a market study confirmed the potential interest of our system, especially for public mosquito control operators in Europe and the USA. A commercialization strategy was elaborated to put the automatic release system on the market.
