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A Mosquito's Nose Knows

One of the tiniest of insects is known for having the deadliest of bites. The malaria-carrying mosquito kills more people than any other animal. Its bite--and the ensuing blood feast--can leave behind lethal parasites in a human host’s system that cause disease. Dr. Chris Potter, professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is studying the insect’s sense of smell. His lab hopes to alter the way mosquitoes perceive human scent and flavor--an effort to make us less appealing as a meal. Want to see what happens when a mosquito stops for a bite? Watch this. To see all that Potter's lab is up to visit his site. Original airdate 6/27/17.

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
Melissa Gerr is a Senior Producer for On the Record. She started in public media at Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minn., where she is from, and then worked as a field producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland. She made the jump to audio-lover in Baltimore as a digital media editor at Mid-Atlantic Media and Laureate Education, Inc. and as a field producer for "Out of the Blocks." Her beat is typically the off-beat with an emphasis on science, culture and things that make you say, 'Wait, what?'