All PCR- and DNA-based blood meal analyses require host DNA from a mosquito blood meal to be effectively preserved between the time when the specimen is collected and the extraction of DNA. As soon as a mosquito ingests blood from a host animal, digestion of host cells and cellular components within the blood meal by enzymes in the mosquito midgut begins to degrade the host DNA templates that are the targets of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Without effective preservation, host DNA is typically undetectable by PCR 48 h after feeding, because of digestion. Preservation methods for mosquito blood meals vary in their efficacy, and the logistics of fieldwork can limit the options for preservation of blood meals and maintenance of the integrity of host DNA. This protocol describes a method of blood meal preservation that is effective, convenient, and amenable to fieldwork in remote locations where cryopreservation at –20°C or –80°C may not be feasible. It uses a Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) card, which is a chemically treated card that lyses cells and allows nucleic acids to be preserved. This method is also expected to preserve the DNA or RNA of pathogens present within the engorged mosquito abdomen, including RNA viruses.

The insect eggshell is a multifunctional structure with several important roles, including generating an entry point for sperm via the micropyle before oviposition, serving as an oviposition substrate attachment surface, and functioning as a protective layer during embryo development. Eggshell proteins play major roles in eggshell tanning and hardening following oviposition and provide molecular cues that define dorsal–ventral axis formation. Precise eggshell formation during ovarian follicle maturation is critical for normal embryo development and the synthesis of a defective eggshell often gives rise to inviable embryos. Therefore, simple and accurate methods for identifying eggshell proteins will facilitate our understanding of the molecular pathways regulating eggshell formation and the mechanisms underlying normal embryo development. This protocol describes how to isolate and enrich eggshells from mature oocytes of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and how to extract their eggshell proteins for liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) proteomic analysis. Although this methodology was developed for studying mosquito eggshells, it may be applicable to eggs from a variety of insects. Mosquitoes are ideal model organisms for this study as their ovarian follicle development and eggshell formation are meticulously regulated by blood feeding and their follicles develop synchronously throughout oogenesis in a time-dependent manner.

In insects, oocyte resorption (oosorption) or follicular atresia is one of the key physiological processes and evolutionary strategies used to optimize reproductive fitness. Mosquitoes are ideal model organisms for studying egg maturation in arthropods, as their follicle development is initiated only following the ingestion of a blood meal, followed by a carefully orchestrated series of hormonally regulated events leading to egg maturation. A cohort of approximately 100 follicles per mosquito ovary begin developing synchronously. However, a significant fraction of follicles ultimately undergo apoptosis and oosorption, especially when available resources from the blood meal are limited. Therefore, simple, rapid, and reliable techniques to accurately evaluate follicular atresia are necessary to understand mechanisms underlying follicle development in insects. This protocol describes how to detect apoptotic follicle cells within the Aedes aegypti mosquito ovaries using a commercially available fluorescent-labeled inhibitor of caspases (FLICA). Caspases are key players in animal apoptosis. In this assay, the FLICA reagent enters the intracellular compartment of follicles in dissected mosquito ovaries and covalently binds to active caspases. The bound reagent remains within the cell and its fluorescent signal can be observed by confocal microscopy. Although this method was specifically developed for visualizing apoptotic ovarian follicles during Ae. aegypti mosquito egg development, it should be applicable to other mosquito tissues that undergo caspase-mediated program cell death in a time-dependent manner.

Transposon-mediated transgenesis has revolutionized both basic and applied studies of mosquito vectors of disease. Currently, techniques such as enhancer traps and transposon tagging, which rely on remobilizable insertional mutagenesis, are only possible with transposon-based vector systems. Here, we provide general descriptions of methods and applications of transposon-based mosquito transgenesis. The exact procedures must be adapted to each mosquito species and comparisons of some differences among different mosquito species are outlined. A number of excellent publications showing detailed and specific protocols and methods are featured and referenced.

After more than a century of searching, scientists have discovered a gene in snails that may control asymmetries inside many animals

A Two-Day Festival in the historic Arts & Industries Building brings community, artists and scholars together for a “Culture Lab”

On this episode of Generation Anthropocene, we dive into one of the most underappreciated elements on the periodic table

By raising her son to be curious about the natural world, this mother helped shape the trajectory of the National Museum of Natural History

More than 50 Norman Wells residents gathered at the Royal Canadian Legion on Thursday night to voice frustrations over high heating fuel prices.

In opening remarks at the Inuit-Crown partnership committee meeting in Ottawa on Friday, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the government is preparing to deliver an apology in Nunavik — the Inuit region of northern Quebec.

Former Dawson City Mayor Bill Kendrick has filed his defence against the town's encroachment violation lawsuit.

Yukon appeal court Justice Karen Horsman granted a temporary stay of the requirement on Friday, the latest development in an ongoing legal battle over the property between the territorial government, cabin-owner Len Tarka and tenant Eric DeLong. 

Hay River RCMP say they believe two weekend incidents, including one in which a person was shot, are linked to drugs and organized crime.

A group of volunteers have been providing emergency services to West Dawson residents during the periods of freeze up and break up, when there is no reliable access across the Yukon River to town.

A man who fled from police, drove onto a walking trail, triggered a shelter-in-place advisory for the Chateau Nova hotel in Yellowknife and subsequently broke into a home was on bail at the time and under house arrest, police say.

In Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., work is underway on a modular home construction centre that local leaders say will help the community meet housing and employment goals.

Historians say that Sarah Emma Edmonds exaggerated many aspects of her wartime experiences. Still, she bravely served in the Union Army, becoming one of hundreds of women who fought in the conflict in secret

Newspaper editor Horace Greeley unsuccessfully ran against incumbent Ulysses S. Grant in November 1872. Twenty-four days later, he died of unknown causes at a private mental health facility

In a new biopic starring Kate Winslet, Miller's many lives—as an artist, model, muse, cook and war correspondent—need little embellishment

In the early 1990s, historians and the public alike questioned how Disney's America would accurately and sensitively document the nation's thorny past

A new film revisits the 90 minutes before the first episode of "Saturday Night Live" premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975

When the U.S. Army massacred a Lakota village at Blue Water, dozens of plundered artifacts ended up in the Smithsonian. The unraveling of this long-buried atrocity is forging a path toward reconciliation

A new exhibition at the British Library explores the public, private and spiritual lives of such figures as Joan of Arc, Christine de Pizan and Hildegard of Bingen

After he was forced off the German stage in 1934 by antisemitic hecklers, Leo Reuss found a daring way to hide in plain sight

The Sacro Bosco's meaning is the subject of debate, with scholars alternatively describing the sprawling complex as a memorial, an allegorical site or a tribute to ancient civilizations

"Spectropia" demystified the techniques used by mediums who claimed they could speak to the dead, revealing the "absurd follies of Spiritualism"

Texts like the "Sortes Astrampsychi" promised insights on clients' love lives, career prospects, financial woes and families

In the Jim Crow South, activists became martyrs at the hands of white racists, all for the just cause of using the vote to fight for equality and freedom

Before fitness influencers made getting your steps in a trend, pedestrianism had the nation on their feet

The 1898 Wilmington massacre left dozens of Black North Carolinians dead. Conspirators also forced the city's multiracial government to resign at gunpoint

Out-of-the-can branding helped transform World War II's rations into a beloved household staple

N.B. Power has won approval to keep charging rates that it increased on customers by an average of 9.25 on April 1, and to repeat the increase next April, with only minor modifications.

A jury has found a 20-year-old Moncton man guilty of second-degree murder in the 2022 death of an 18-year-old.

There have been 25 confirmed measles cases in New Brunswick since October after the identification of 11 new cases, according to a news release Saturday from Public Health.

Families of Norton Elementary School won’t be seeing their kids return anytime soon. Repairs are going to take longer than expected and students are expected to be back in the school by the start of the next school year.

The New Brunswick Military History Museum is in possession of a unique piece of history that was once used to raise money for frontline soldiers.

Interim PC Leader Glen Savoie urged members to find a common purpose rather than blame former leader Blaine Higgs.

From bravery on the field of battle to stoicism behind the lines, New Brunswickers of all backgrounds made their marks.

An opioid replacement program in downtown Fredericton will continue to operate at the River Stone Recovery Centre until March 2025 after it got a one-year extension from Health Canada, despite increased opposition to the clinic.

The University of Regina Rams knock off their provincial rivals, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies to win their second ever Hardy Cup championship. An emotional Rams head coach, Mark McConkey talks about how his team was able to overcome a rough regular season and win the title.

Inflation, an increase to the debt limit, and a series of mega-projects have been focuses of the municipal election in Regina.

The apartment once occupied by the author of Les Miserables is now a museum dedicated to his life and to 19th century Paris

Families are grappling with the consequences of growing gun violence in Hamilton and across the Greater Toronto Area this year. Several of the region's police forces have warned of an alarming rise in shootings since January.

With Remembrance Day and Indigenous Veterans Day coming up, many people start to reflect on their family's wartime stories by looking through mementos saved by former generations. Ron Kanutski of Thunder Bay, Ont., joins the CBC's Mary-Jean Cormier to talk about his family's military history.

Even as they fundraise for other community organizations, some legions across Canada are having trouble keeping their own lights on amid rising inflation and maintenance costs.

A date has been set for an inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 37-year-old man in police custody in Atikokan, Ont. who overdosed while in police custody in October 2020. The incident led to an investigation by the province's Special Investigations Unit.

In honour of Remembrance Day, Students from St. Paul School visited St Andrew's Catholic Cemetery to clean headstones of veterans, a partnership with the No Stone Left Behind project.

Hospice Northwest Services is inviting people to visit its third annual photography exhibit, "A Personal Lens on Grief." Here's what the project in Thunder Bay, Ont., entails, and why staff say it's important to find creative ways to express loss.

CBC's Superior Morning has been gathering wartime stories from listeners leading up to Remembrance Day based on mementos they have kept for generations. Here's some of the stories residents in northwestern Ontario have shared.

Wildlife photographer Jason Leo Bantle recounts the moment he came across Banff’s most famous grizzly ‘The Boss,’ during the bear’s surprise visit to Canmore, Alta.