Our Changing World

For many years mosquitoes were thought of as nothing but flying syringes. There was good reason for this; their bites often carry deadly parasites such as those that cause a whole host of human diseases. As we have begun to dig deeper into the life of a mosquito, we have found a fascinating world full of mid-air love songs and maybe even mind control. It has become clear that our best chance for controlling mosquitoes in a rapidly changing world is to better understand the world of the mosquito.

Can ecosystems continue to function adequately in a rapidly changing, human-dominated world? Can we engineer ecosystems to be more resilient? Ecosystems are complex, and we are still uncomfortably far from definitive answers. Find out why understanding the effects of environmental temperature on the energetics of individual organisms, and the interactions between organisms, is key to answering these crucial questions. Earth's biological history, as well as your yoghurt and cheeses, may hold some clues!