The Mosquito Minute, from the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute

The Naked Scientists

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Animals don't come much more dangerous than the mosquito, so jump aboard to hear why, and what new research is revealing about ways to stop the world's greatest disease threat

Aug 19

Malaria drug revolution

As drug resistance continues to undermine malaria control efforts, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutics and strategies capable of preventing infections at the earliest stages. In response, Australian researchers have developed a new antimalarial drug that targets the stage when the Plasmodium parasite transitions from liver cells, where it initially proliferates, into the bloodstream. A preclinical study published in Science describes a novel immunisation strategy that combines mosquito-delivered malaria parasites with an investigational class of antimalarial drug compounds.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Jul 14

Sickle cell defeated malaria and opened up pastures new

Malaria has been killing humans for at least fifteen thousand years, and our DNA still carries the scars. Ninety percent of the world's malaria cases are in Africa. But this isn't just a modern health crisis. It's written into our evolutionary history. New research from the University of Cambridge reveals that early humans actively avoided malaria hotspots across Africa for tens of thousands of years. The archaeological record is striking: mosquitoes thrived where people didn't live. Until something changed. Around fifteen thousand years ago, a genetic mutation emerged in West Africa: the... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Jun 17

Half a million years of malaria and its control

For more than a century, malaria control has relied on one central strategy, controlling the mosquito itself. Vector control is the use of tools to reduce contact between humans and malaria-carrying mosquitoes. This remains one of the most effective ways to prevent transmission. Speaking with Chris Smith, Sonia Shah is the author of The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
May 20

Malaria in Africa

Africa remains at the centre of the global malaria crisis. The continent accounts for around 95 percent of all malaria cases, placing immense strain on health systems and costing hundreds of thousands of lives each year. In 2023, there were an estimated 249 million cases globally, with the vast majority in sub-Saharan Africa. So why does malaria persist so strongly here? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Apr 26

Driven to End Malaria: World Malaria Day 2026

A child dies from malaria roughly every minute. A stark reminder of why urgent action is still needed. "Driven to end malaria, now we can, now we must" is the theme of World Malaria Day on the 25th of April. This year also marks 25 years of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, which has shaped modern malaria control strategies. In this episode, we hear from Ashley Birkett, Global Head of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases at PATH Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Feb 24

Mosquito Minute: Jane Carlton on malaria

In this episode, we hear from Jane Carlton, who is the Director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. Chris Smith and Jane discuss malaria biology, the work she has conducted in Ethiopia, her remarkable research at Johns Hopkins, and how stealing her brother's genetics textbook led her to where she is today. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Feb 10

Mosquito Minute: What are mosquitoes?

In our inaugural edition of The Mosquito Minute, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, we explore the tremendous impact these insect pests have had throughout their evolution. We break down what mosquitoes are, how they find a meal, the diseases they carry, and the strategies scientists are currently deploying to control them. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

7 Episodes

Animals don't come much more dangerous than the mosquito, so jump aboard to hear why, and what new research is revealing about ways to stop the world's greatest disease threat

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The Naked Scientists
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2026
Episodes

7
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Clean
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© The Naked Scientists
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The Mosquito Minute, from the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute