---
title: "The malaria vector selection atlas"
shorttitle: "The malaria vector selection atlas"
slug: selection-atlas
date: 07/21/2025
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/atlas.png'
tag: malariagen_data, genetics
canonicalUrl: 'https://sanjaycnagi.com/blog/2025-07-21-selection-atlas/'
---

[![selection atlas signals](/blog/signals.png)](doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.16.664900)

Dual-active ingredient ITNs are now being deployed in sub-Saharan Africa. We know that these nets are not only highly effective but effective against pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors, which should help in the fight against malaria. But given the evolutionary adaptability of malaria mosquitoes, we must rapidly find ways to detect resistance before it becomes widespread, in order employ insecticide resistance management practices and protect the lifespan of these critical tools. 

When a beneficial mutation arises — like one that helps a mosquito survive insecticide exposure — it begins to spread through a population, leaving a signature of reduced genetic diversity around it. We can exploit this signature to pinpoint regions of the genome that are under selection and threatening malaria vector control efforts. 

In a new pre-print on [bioRxiv](https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.16.664900), we present a web resource, the [**Malaria Vector Selection Atlas**](https://anopheles-genomic-surveillance.github.io/selection-atlas/), a database of selection signals in wild Anopheles mosquitoes within the [Vector Observatory](https://www.malariagen.net/vobs/). We analysed whole-genome sequence data from over 4,300 mosquitoes collected across 21 African countries, using population genomic methods to scan the genomes of our cohorts for telltale signs of recent positive selection. The atlas reveals both familiar loci and new threats: we confirm selection at established resistance genes like the *Vgsc* (the target of DDT and pyrethroids) and metabolic enzyme clusters like the *Cyp6p* locus that break down insecticides. But we also discovered novel signals including a diacylglycerol kinase on the X chromosome that may represent a previously unknown resistance mechanism. The selection atlas is powered by an automated computational workflow that enables continuous updates as new data become available. As we integrate more recent data, we envisage that the resource will provide a crucial early warning system for tracking mosquito evolution in near real-time, helping to inform evidence-based decisions about where and how best to deploy our limited vector control tools.
 
---

*Explore the pre-print on [bioRxiv](https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.16.664900v1) and the [selection-atlas web resource](https://anopheles-genomic-surveillance.github.io/selection-atlas/)*


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The malaria vector selection atlas