2023-06-19 12:00:30
Researchers from Radboud university medical center are testing at the Lowlands festival to see which mosquitoes become very enthusiastic
Do mosquitoes like you, or do they always go for your partner? Researchers from Radboud university medical center are testing this year at Lowlands Science who is the tastiest and why. They are taking thousands of hungry mosquitoes to the festival on 18, 19 and 20 August in Biddinghuizen. So keep your arm near the cage and see for yourself whether the mosquitoes get excited.
For the seventh time, scientists at the Lowlands festival are conducting research at Lowlands Science. Fourteen research teams have been selected from dozens of submitted proposals to use Lowlands as a laboratory. Radboudumc is also present again this year.
mosquito magnet
One is a real mosquito magnet, the other is rarely bitten. Mosquito bites are mainly irritating on the Lowlands, but in the tropics they entail dangers such as malaria. The more often you are bitten by a tropical mosquito, the more risk you run. What makes people (un)attractive to mosquitoes? Smell, behavior, diet? Researchers at Radboud university medical center are testing who makes the mosquitoes wildly enthusiastic. By competing with each other, Lowlands visitors find out who has the greatest appeal. The research team uses questionnaires to find out what makes the winners irresistible to the tropical mosquito.
The mosquitoes remain in their cages during the entire festival. People keep their arm near the cage, but cannot be stung because there is still gauze between the mosquito and the arm. The researchers use a camera to monitor how eagerly the mosquitoes approach the arms offered. Participants can test how attractive they are two at a time, and thus turn it into a competition.
The research team includes Felix Hol, Maartje Inklaar and Sara Lynn Blanken.
Would you like to know more about the other participating studies this year? Then look here.
Lowlands Science
Lowlands Science is a popular part of Lowlands, where scientific research takes place during the festival. Every year, Lowlands, BKB and New Scientist invite scientists to submit a research proposal. In recent years, Radboudumc has conducted research into, among other things, resuscitation with VR glasses, the influence of alcohol on surgical skills, and how resilient people are.
Source: Radboudumc
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