Hello, I’m Thomas Locke and this is Five Minutes, the podcast that brings you closer to the malaria experts.

All of our genetic material is made from DNA. It’s a chemical found in the nucleus of our cells, in long structures called chromosomes. The entire set of our genetic material forms our genome; each one of our is unique. 

Having reference genomes, a list of the genes always occur in a particular species is really important. It allows scientists to identify genes that cause disease, understand genetic inheritance and track migration patterns. Or in the case of malaria, understand insecticide resistance.

Creating reference genomes for mosquitos is a challenge. But now, in a partnership between the Sanger Institute and PacBio, it can be done with just 100 nanograms of DNA.

I speak with Sarah Kingan, a scientist who helped develop the new protocol.