{ "abstract": "Background: Attractive Targeted Sugar Baits (ATSBs) are a promising, environmentally friendly approach for mosquito control, but the direct field application, scalability and long-term effectiveness of ATSBs across diverse mosquito species remain significant challenges. Methodology/Principal findings: We assessed the efficacy of a genetically engineered RNA interference (RNAi) yeast strain (Sh.463) formulated in three sugar baits: soda (Coca-Cola), 10% sucrose, and a commercial mosquito bait (BaitStab), on Aedes, Anopheles and Culex mosquitoes. All RNAi yeast bait formulations induced significantly higher mean mortality (87–100%) compared to the control groups (0–9%), but RNAi yeast-soda baits resulted in significantly higher mortality rates of 94–100% recorded across all mosquito species. Additionally, to assess the competitiveness of the RNAi yeast-soda bait to other tropical sugar sources, semi-field choice assays were conducted in Trinidad, West Indies using competing flowering plants and fruits typically found in residential environments. The RNAi yeast-soda ATSB continued to perform well in the presence of many competing floral and fruit sugar sources during both Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus trials, but the presence of several fruits and flowers did significantly reduce Sh.463-induced mosquito mortality with the degree of competitive deterrence being heavily modulated by mosquito species, sex, and floral resource, suggesting that further field testing will be necessary. The residual activity of the Sh.463 + soda formulation was retained for at least 14 months, with sustained 100% mortality in C. quinquefasciatus and 93–100% mortality in Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles stephensi. The RNAi yeast-soda ATSB also performed well in semi-field studies performed with a prototype soda bottle feeder. Conclusions/Significance: This study demonstrates the potential of soda-baited RNAi yeast as a potent, long-lasting, and scalable platform for ATSB-based mosquito control as a component of integrated vector management programs. Author summary: Mosquito-borne diseases continue to affect millions of people worldwide, and current mosquito control methods face challenges such as low public uptake, insecticide resistance and environmental concerns. Here we evaluated a new and environmentally friendly approach to mosquito control using ATSBs. We tested genetically engineered species-specific yeast producing RNAi molecules capable of killing mosquitoes that feed on it. We mixed the yeast with three different sugar baits, including soda, 10% sucrose, and the commercial mosquito bait BaitStab formulation, and evaluated how well they worked against different mosquitoes. The results showed that the RNAi yeast mixed with soda was the most effective, killing up to 100% of mosquitoes in laboratory and outdoor tests. The bait remained effective in the presence of many competing natural tropical fruit and floral sugar sources. Remarkably, the bait, which can be delivered in a soda bottle feeder, stayed active for at least 14 months under simulated field conditions. These findings suggest that soda-based RNAi yeast baits could provide a practical, long-lasting and scalable tool for mosquito control and may help strengthen future strategies to reduce mosquito-borne diseases.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, Indiana, United States of America", "Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America", "Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago", "College of Arts and Letters, The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America", "Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America" ], "article_type": "Research Article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 13, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Akilah T. M. Stewart" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Majidah Hamid-Adiamoh" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Teresia M. Njoroge" }, { "affs": [ 3 ], "name": "Longhua Sun" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Nikhella Winter-Reece" }, { "name": "Rachel Shui Feng" }, { "name": "Satish Singh" }, { "name": "Lester D. James" }, { "name": "Britton Sofhauser" }, { "name": "Carolina Dille" }, { "name": "Azad Mohammed" }, { "name": "David W. Severson" }, { "name": "Molly Duman-Scheel" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/547yw7y5yws28.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1371/journal.pntd.0014319", "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014319", "id": "547yw7y5yws28", "issns": [ "1935-2735" ], "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014319", "language": null, "licence": "CC-BY-4.0", "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0", "licence_source": "journal", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "openalex", "2739|Mosquito-borne diseases and control" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Agriculture/Agrochemicals/Insecticides" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Biochemistry/Nucleic acids/RNA/RNA interference" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Epigenetics/RNA interference" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Gene expression/RNA interference" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Genetic interference/RNA interference" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Mosquitoes" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Fungi/Yeast" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Plants/Fruits" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Plants/Fruits/Papayas" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Plant science/Plant anatomy/Flowers" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Population biology/Population metrics/Death rates" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Species interactions/Disease vectors/Insect vectors/Mosquitoes" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Mosquitoes" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Entomology/Insects/Mosquitoes" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Infectious diseases/Disease vectors/Insect vectors/Mosquitoes" ] ], "openalex": "W7213901089", "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014319&type=printable", "pmcid": null, "pmid": null, "published": "2026-09-21", "publisher": "Public Library of Science", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/547yw7y5yws28.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:43Z", "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pntd.0014319", "source": "plos", "url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014319" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "biochemistry", "origin": "plos:gene expression", "subfield": "molecular-biology" }, { "field": "biology", "origin": "plos:genetics", "subfield": "genetics-genomics" }, { "field": "biology", "origin": "plos:zoology", "subfield": "zoology-behaviour" } ], "title": "Soda-baited RNAi yeast insecticides as effective Attractive Targeted Sugar Baits (ATSBs) for mosquito control", "title_text": "Soda-baited RNAi yeast insecticides as effective Attractive Targeted Sugar Baits (ATSBs) for mosquito control", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:43Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/547yw7y5yws28", "venue": "PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases", "versions": [] }