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RESEARCH PRODUCT

The Population Genomics of Anopheles gambiae Species Complex: Progress and Prospects

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Anopheles gambiae sensu lato is a species complex containing principal malaria vectors such as An. gambiae sensu stricto, An. coluzzii, and An. arabiensis. Numerous studies have shown dynamic species hybridization among member of this complex makes them an ideal model for studying evolution and speciation as well as for applied vector biology. Applying a population genomics approach to the An. gambiae and An. coluzzii species group has led to a number of important and epidemiologically relevant insights including: (1) organization of genomic divergence into “islands of speciation”; (2) competing models of population origin of An. gambiae and An. Coluzzii; (3) description of asymmetric introgression between diverged populations; (4) description of adaptive introgression as a mechanism for the rapid evolution of insecticide resistance; (5) gene/genomic region discovery associated with insecticide resistance and Plasmodium resistance; (6) assessment of gene drive resistance potential among natural populations of An. gambiae and An. coluzzii. With increasing availability of genomic tools and population genomic databases for this species group, it is poised to step further in utilizing genomics resources to answer traditionally challenging questions such as dispersal and population size estimation.