• News Archive
  • Simaster
  • Webmail
  • Directory
  • Crisis Center
  •  English
    • Indonesia
Universitas Gadjah Mada Universitas Gadjah Mada Universitas Gadjah Mada Universitas Gadjah Mada
  • Education
    • Doctoral dissertation
    • Inauguration of Professor
    • Graduation
  • Achievement
  • Research and Innovation
    • Research
    • Innovation
  • Campus Info
    • Cooperation
    • Seminar and Workshop
    • Student Community Service Program
    • Other
  • News Report
  • Home
  • News Report
  • UGM Innovation: Wolbachia Technology for Humanity

UGM Innovation: Wolbachia Technology for Humanity

  • 13 August 2020, 17:46 WIB
  • By: Natasa Adelayanti
  • 1222
Teknologi Wolbachia, Inovasi UGM untuk Kemanusiaan

UGM research team that is also part of the Yogyakarta World Mosquito Program (WMP) has been developing Wolbachia technology since nine years ago to lessen dengue fever. However, this research has produced results. The data shows that at least the areas that become research locations for the spread of the Wolbachia mosquito in the Special Region of Yogyakarta can reduce the number of dengue fever cases. Nevertheless, the spread of the Wolbachia mosquito will be stopped when its population has reached about 60 percent. Therefore, the spread of mosquitoes containing Wolbachia will remain to obtain technological results that proposed to benefit the community.

In relevance to that, Wolbachia Innovation Festival: Innovation for Humanity raised as the webinar's topic on Wednesday (12/8). There were two research members, namely Dr. Warsito Tantowijoyo and Eggi Arguni, Ph. D., presented in the virtual seminar organized by WMP Yogyakarta.

Dr. Warsito Tantowijoyo said the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is known as a vector of dengue virus. If it contains Wolbachia bacteria in its body, it is believed that it will not transmit the dengue virus to humans. This fact is because Wolbachia will withstand the replication of the dengue virus in the mosquito's body. "Indeed, there would not appear to be any changes in the mosquitoes, but it can hinder the development of the dengue virus because Wolbachia blocked the replication process," said this entomologist expert.

Not only does it stop the replication rate, but the presence of Wolbachia in the mosquito's body will also reduce the virus's potent infection. "There will be the very low possibility of dengue's potent infection," he explained.

Warsito said that the research had been started since 2011, which in Kronggahan Sleman hamlet. Then it was extended in several sub-districts in Yogyakarta City and has shown significant progress. It was initially challenging for them to campaign this program to the community cause they thought that releasing mosquitoes around their houses means spreading the dengue virus. "It is not something easy, even considered contradictory. On the one hand, previously, there has been a mosquito control program, and we were spreading it," he said.

In his remarks, he said that at the beginning of this research, they did a lot of work in the laboratory by generating Wolbachia mosquito populations. Besides, the mosquito population with Wolbachia distributed to every resident's house. Although the community has not been able to influence the total number of mosquitoes present, he believes that the number of Wolbachia mosquitoes, both male and female, will continue to increase because they will continue to breed wildly. "We will stop its spread if the Wolbachia lineage has reached 60 percent of the total mosquito population in a place," he said.

Eggi Arguni, Ph.D., as a member of the WMP research team, said that in the early stages of this research, she had a lot of dialogue with the community to invite them to work together in improving this Wolbachia technology. "We keep encouraging the community through good communication," she said.

According to her, the application of Wolbachia technology to mosquitoes is like boosting mosquitoes' immunity so that the dengue virus cannot infect them. "This is similar to vaccination so that mosquitoes have immunity to protect themselves from viruses," she said.

According to Eggi, mosquitoes that carry Wolbachia will undergo RNA modification so that the dengue virus cannot replicate in the cells of the mosquito's body.

Author: Gusti Grehenson
Translator: Natasa A

Related News

  • UGM Releases Mosquito with Wolbachia in Bantul

    Monday,08 December 2014 - 14:53
  • First Result of Releasing Wolbachia Mosquito Records Positive Results

    Tuesday,25 August 2020 - 18:09
  • UGM-WMP Gets Muri Awards for Wolbachia Innovation

    Wednesday,24 February 2021 - 16:31
  • Wolbachia-Infected Mosquitoes in Bantul Regency Reach 76.8%

    Wednesday,28 December 2022 - 21:12
  • Optimising Science and Technology for Nation Development

    Thursday,11 August 2016 - 9:07

News Releases

  • 18,964 UGM Students Receive Scholarships, Director of Student Affairs Says 20 January 2023
    Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) annually allocates hundreds
    Salma
  • Prof. Budi Setiadi Daryono Recounts Origin of His Apple Melon Cultivar 'Hikapel' 16 January 2023
    In 2012, a team of researchers from the UGM Facult
    Salma
  • UGM Graduate Fajar Kelana Named Top 20 International James Dyson Award Winner 13 January 2023
    Fajar Sidik Abdullah Kelana, an alumnus of UGM and
    Salma
  • Chemical Eng. Students Win International Youth Ideas Competition 05 January 2023
    UGM Chemical Engineering students Andhirta Rukmarata Chani
    Salma
  • UGM Secures IDR 67 Billion From 2022 Kedaireka Matching Fund, Most Among Other Universities 30 December 2022
    Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has topped the list of unive
    Salma

Event

No latest event at this time

Universitas Gadjah Mada
UNIVERSITAS GADJAH MADA
Bulaksumur Yogyakarta 55281
   info@ugm.ac.id
   +62 (274) 588688
   +62 (274) 565223
   +62 811 2869 988

PARTNERSHIP

  • Alumni
  • International Affairs

ABOUT UGM

  • Rector's Welcome
  • History
  • Vission and Mission
  • The Board of Executive
  • Management

VISIT UGM

  • Campus Map
  • Event

REGISTRATION

  • Undergraduate
  • Graduate
  • Vocational School
  • Professional Program
  • International Program

© 2023 Universitas Gadjah Mada

PRIVACY POLICYCONTACT