Bianca Burini

Assistant Professor University of Florida

Vero Beach | Florida Medical Entomology Lab FL

Bianca Burini's researches transgenic mosquitoes and genetic control of mosquito-borne diseases using CRISPR/Cas9 and transposable elements.

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Biography

Bianca Burini's lab is dedicated to conducting basic research aimed at developing cutting-edge technologies to combat vector-borne diseases. Utilizing genetic engineering as her primary tool, she seeks to understand the dynamics of host-pathogen interactions and understand the molecular mechanisms underlying disease transmission. Through this understanding, she wants to engineer novel transgenes and refine existing tools, with the goal of designing more effective strategies for mosquito population suppression and population replacement. Her research encompasses a diverse array of pathogens, including those responsible for diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika and chikungunya, along with their vectors, the mosquitoes from the genus Anopheles, Aedes and Culex.

Areas of Expertise

Vector Bornes Diseases Control

Genetic control of mosquitoes

Transgenic mosquitoes

Genetic engineering of mosquitoes

Articles

Genetic control of malaria transmission: a salivary gland-centric perspective

Current Opinion in Insect Science

Eze, et al.

2026-04-01

Mosquitoes are the deadliest organisms on Earth, as they transmit a wide range of medically important diseases, posing a major public health threat worldwide. Controlling vector-borne diseases presents numerous challenges, and the alarming rise in their incidence underscores the urgent need for innovative strategies, with genetic control offering a promising approach.

The toolbox for mosquito vector research

Parasites & Victors

Duran-Ahumada, et al.

2025-09-24

The work of collecting mosquitoes in the field is essential for improving knowledge about species of known and unknown vector status, their invasion dynamics, and further understanding their involvement in circulating pathogens of medical and veterinary importance. Over the years, different techniques have been developed to capture mosquitoes for entomological, pathogen transmission, and surveillance studies. For entomological and transmission dynamic research to be reliable, it is essential for mosquito specimens to be correctly identified so that their role in pathogen transmission can be appropriately assessed.

Aedes (Ochlerotatus) scapularis, Aedes japonicus japonicus, and Aedes (Fredwardsius) vittatus (Diptera: Culicidae): Three Neglected Mosquitoes with Potential Global Health Risks

Insects

Petersen, et al.

2024-08-08

The main mosquito species capable of transmitting arboviruses belong to the genera Aedes spp., Psorophora spp., Anopheles spp., Culex spp., Mansonia spp., Coquillettidia spp., Haemagogus spp., Sabethes spp., Culiseta spp., and Wyeomyia spp. Some neglected mosquito species have the potential to become significant disease vectors due to parameters such as global distribution, rapid adaptation to urban areas, and anthropophilic habits. This review discusses the epidemiological importance and biology of three neglected mosquitoes, Aedes scapularis, Aedes vittatus, and Aedes japonicus japonicus, in the context of vectorial capacity and how urbanization, climate change, and globalization alter disease transmission dynamics and may increase the participation of neglected species in propagating diseases.