Uli Bernier, Mentor

Drawing 75 female mosquitos into the cylindrical trap at the end of the cage, using a human hand as bait. The mosquitos will then be loaded into the olfactometer for experiments to determine the efficacy of new mosquito repellents.

Kay Furman conducted experiments this summer on the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, which is known to transmit yellow fever to humans. Her work is part of an effort to develop catnip oil for use as a mosquito repellent. Specifically, she is trying to determine the attractant inhibitor and repellent properties of catnip oil, in order to compare those properties to the properties of DEET.

Gauging the attractiveness of Kay's left hand in the olfactometer.