**7.5 Fungal application for vector control**

Entomopathogenic transgenic fungus *Metarhizium pingshaense* expressing the spider neurotoxin hybrid (met-hybrid) killed 99% of the mosquito population in a controlled trial in Burkina Faso. The study was conducted in a trial village of 600 square meters area or `mosquito sphere'. The test mosquitoes were killed within 45 days. The researchers hope to find out a new tool to eliminate malaria when insecticide resistance is a major problem [32]. Before this field trial, extensive laboratory experiments were carried out on the two important malaria species *An. coluzzii* and *An. gambiae s.l* [33].
