The Effect of Soybean Trypsin Inhibitor on The Development of Aedes aegypti Larvae
Mosquito-borne illnesses such as zika and malaria continue to be a devastating biological threat to many parts of the world. To prevent further destruction, mosquito populations need to be controlled. The ongoing campaign to discover an effective method of mosquito control has led to a multitude of research studies focusing on solutions such as chemical agents and genetic engineering. The objective of this experiment was to find a chemical that effectively halted the development of mosquito larvae without causing risk to the environment. In order to determine whether the chemical, soybean trypsin inhibitor, had an effect on the larvae, three experimental groups were closely observed. The first group had 50 mg of the chemical, along with seven larvae; the second contained 10 mg of the chemical along with the same amount of larvae; and the third group contained no treatment and four larvae. After four days of observation, six larvae died in the high concentration group, two died in the low concentration group, and none died in the control group. The results of a descriptive statistics data analysis showed that soybean trypsin inhibitor did, in fact, effectively halt the development of mosquito larvae.
Research Conducted By:
Zachary Haupt
Cousino High School
Alexandra Korabiewski
Cousino High School
Warren Consolidated Schools