All PCR- and DNA-based blood meal analyses require host DNA from a mosquito blood meal to be effectively preserved between the time when the specimen is collected and the extraction of DNA. As soon as a mosquito ingests blood from a host animal, digestion of host cells and cellular components within the blood meal by enzymes in the mosquito midgut begins to degrade the host DNA templates that are the targets of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Without effective preservation, host DNA is typically undetectable by PCR 48 h after feeding, because of digestion. Preservation methods for mosquito blood meals vary in their efficacy, and the logistics of fieldwork can limit the options for preservation of blood meals and maintenance of the integrity of host DNA. This protocol describes a method of blood meal preservation that is effective, convenient, and amenable to fieldwork in remote locations where cryopreservation at –20°C or –80°C may not be feasible. It uses a Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) card, which is a chemically treated card that lyses cells and allows nucleic acids to be preserved. This method is also expected to preserve the DNA or RNA of pathogens present within the engorged mosquito abdomen, including RNA viruses.

The insect eggshell is a multifunctional structure with several important roles, including generating an entry point for sperm via the micropyle before oviposition, serving as an oviposition substrate attachment surface, and functioning as a protective layer during embryo development. Eggshell proteins play major roles in eggshell tanning and hardening following oviposition and provide molecular cues that define dorsal–ventral axis formation. Precise eggshell formation during ovarian follicle maturation is critical for normal embryo development and the synthesis of a defective eggshell often gives rise to inviable embryos. Therefore, simple and accurate methods for identifying eggshell proteins will facilitate our understanding of the molecular pathways regulating eggshell formation and the mechanisms underlying normal embryo development. This protocol describes how to isolate and enrich eggshells from mature oocytes of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and how to extract their eggshell proteins for liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) proteomic analysis. Although this methodology was developed for studying mosquito eggshells, it may be applicable to eggs from a variety of insects. Mosquitoes are ideal model organisms for this study as their ovarian follicle development and eggshell formation are meticulously regulated by blood feeding and their follicles develop synchronously throughout oogenesis in a time-dependent manner.

In insects, oocyte resorption (oosorption) or follicular atresia is one of the key physiological processes and evolutionary strategies used to optimize reproductive fitness. Mosquitoes are ideal model organisms for studying egg maturation in arthropods, as their follicle development is initiated only following the ingestion of a blood meal, followed by a carefully orchestrated series of hormonally regulated events leading to egg maturation. A cohort of approximately 100 follicles per mosquito ovary begin developing synchronously. However, a significant fraction of follicles ultimately undergo apoptosis and oosorption, especially when available resources from the blood meal are limited. Therefore, simple, rapid, and reliable techniques to accurately evaluate follicular atresia are necessary to understand mechanisms underlying follicle development in insects. This protocol describes how to detect apoptotic follicle cells within the Aedes aegypti mosquito ovaries using a commercially available fluorescent-labeled inhibitor of caspases (FLICA). Caspases are key players in animal apoptosis. In this assay, the FLICA reagent enters the intracellular compartment of follicles in dissected mosquito ovaries and covalently binds to active caspases. The bound reagent remains within the cell and its fluorescent signal can be observed by confocal microscopy. Although this method was specifically developed for visualizing apoptotic ovarian follicles during Ae. aegypti mosquito egg development, it should be applicable to other mosquito tissues that undergo caspase-mediated program cell death in a time-dependent manner.

After more than a century of searching, scientists have discovered a gene in snails that may control asymmetries inside many animals

Former Dawson City Mayor Bill Kendrick has filed his defence against the town's encroachment violation lawsuit.

An exhibition at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens explores how Western intellectuals viewed the climate crisis between 1780 and 1930

During and after the Civil War, inventive illustrations allowed Democrats and Republicans to turn American ballots into powerful propaganda

When the U.S. Army massacred a Lakota village at Blue Water, dozens of plundered artifacts ended up in the Smithsonian. The unraveling of this long-buried atrocity is forging a path toward reconciliation

After he was forced off the German stage in 1934 by antisemitic hecklers, Leo Reuss found a daring way to hide in plain sight

The Sacro Bosco's meaning is the subject of debate, with scholars alternatively describing the sprawling complex as a memorial, an allegorical site or a tribute to ancient civilizations

Before fitness influencers made getting your steps in a trend, pedestrianism had the nation on their feet

Maker of the “world famous buttermilk drop,” New Orleans actor Dwight Henry is expanding his baking empire

A jury has found a 20-year-old Moncton man guilty of second-degree murder in the 2022 death of an 18-year-old.

There have been 25 confirmed measles cases in New Brunswick since October after the identification of 11 new cases, according to a news release Saturday from Public Health.

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Families of Norton Elementary School won’t be seeing their kids return anytime soon. Repairs are going to take longer than expected and students are expected to be back in the school by the start of the next school year.

From bravery on the field of battle to stoicism behind the lines, New Brunswickers of all backgrounds made their marks.

Alheri Bingi moved to Canada from Lagos four years ago. Noticing a lack of representation of her Nigerian culture, Bingi started creating batik textile art using authentic African fabric.

Atlantic salmon returns were at their lowest level ever this year, say researchers, who are nevertheless refusing to give up hope that the population can rebound.

Eight years ago, a woman filed a complaint about two RCMP constables in Moncton. She accused them of having "an improper and racist attitude" and of discriminating against her and her husband during an investigation into a stolen truck and trailer. 

A Fredericton judge suggested a joint sentencing proposal Tuesday was too lenient in the case of a former peace officer who left a loaded gun in the house while his children were home.

New Brunswick’s Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in the case of a man found guilty of criminal negligence in the death of Fredericton teenager in 2018.

Families are grappling with the consequences of growing gun violence in Hamilton and across the Greater Toronto Area this year. Several of the region's police forces have warned of an alarming rise in shootings since January.

The union for wildland firefighters says a recently passed Ontario bill that makes them eligible for presumptive cancer care under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board doesn't go far enough.

Ginoogaming First Nation has declared a state of emergency after an engineering inspection showed the bridge leading to the community should be closed to traffic.

Since 1970, Lakehead Public Schools has operated Kingfisher Lake Outdoor Education Centre just outside of Thunder Bay, Ont. The CBC's Matt Fratpietro spent a morning with students from École Elsie MacGill Public School to learn more about the forests that surround the city.

In honour of Remembrance Day, Students from St. Paul School visited St Andrew's Catholic Cemetery to clean headstones of veterans, a partnership with the No Stone Left Behind project.

"Since my childhood, I have been anxious about missing out. I remember not wanting to sleep whenever I heard the adults chatting in the night. I wanted to be part of it all. Later on, in high school, I said “yes” to every event and outing, which ended up crashing so many times. I couldn’t choose. I wanted to be there to celebrate all the fun moments but also share all the tears in the low moments," says Ivy. "However, this lifestyle of being afraid of missing out could not continue when I joined missions. I have had to learn how to let go when I miss out on opportunities to create precious memories with family and friends in my home country."

A museum in Fort McMurray is helping visitors gain a deeper understanding of Canada’s role in previous wars. The Wood Buffalo Military Museum Centre is offering a chance to get up close to military artifacts. Young visitors say seeing the remnants of conflict gives them a new understanding of Remembrance Day's meaning.

Trevor Lewis was a corporal in the Canadian Armed Forces who tried to bury the memories from his deployment in Afghanistan. They all came back in 2021 after the fall of Kabul. This story is how he made peace with his time in that country.

A researcher in Grande Prairie, Alta., has undertaken a project to ensure past Indigenous soldiers and veterans are recognized for their sacrifices in both world wars.

Small businesses are keeping a close eye on the possibility of job action as they stock their shelves for Black Friday and holiday shopping.

A man from Queens County has been sentenced to five years and nine months in federal prison for charges including making and transmitting child pornography, voyeurism and intercepting private communications.

The Town of Kensington, P.E.I., has committed to implementing a new campaign to end gender-based violence.

Lloyd Gates is one of the few surviving Second World War veterans on Prince Edward Island. He recounts the highs and lows of his wartime service in Holland and France.

A 22-year-old man from British Columbia has been charged on P.E.I. after hundreds of grams of fentanyl and cocaine were seized in Charlottetown on Saturday night.

The Prince Edward Island Fire Marshals Office has concluded its investigation into a massive fire at Valley Truss and Metal in Kensington in October.

Public Schools Branch director Tracy Beaulieu speaks with CBC News: Compass host Steve Bruce about the money for schools in the new capital budget the province presented last week, and about the work that lies ahead.

A federal audit of Canada’s strategy to promote the extraction of critical minerals says the government isn’t giving due consideration to the potential impact of mining on the environment, biodiversity and Indigenous people.

There is a sign of progress in the effort toward four-laning the final section of Highway 69 that links northern Ontario to the southern part of the province, and improving the safety of the heavily-travelled route.

Over the weekend, RCMP says officers searched for answers in the death of the toddler, knocking door-to-door on Saturday in Ashern and the surrounding communities of Gypsumville as they canvassed for information that may shed light on the timeline surrounding the child's death.

A Winnipeg business owner is suing a man she alleges swindled her out of ownership of two properties after promising financial help — the latest in a string of court proceedings against the man, whom a judge previously described as showing the signs of a "predator" who seeks out financially vulnerable clients.

RCMP say a 23-year-old woman was found dead in a residence in central Manitoba on Tuesday. 

The president of the Canadian Japanese Cultural Centre of Hamilton is Mitchell Akira Kawasaki — an Olympian, judo master, on-call mail carrier and recent recipient of an award from the Japanese government.

The president of Mohawk College says a drop in international student enrolment at the Hamilton institution is facing a projected $50 million deficit in the 2025-2026 school year. That’s going to mean layoffs, he said.

A 43-year-old man is dead after being shot by police at a west-end Hamilton apartment building Saturday, in an incident which also sent an officer to hospital, Ontario's police watchdog says. 

Bobby Smyrniotis, shut out in five previous nominations, finally has a Coach of the Year Award to go with his four Canadian Premier League titles.

LAFC opened the series with a narrow 2-1 victory in California and Vancouver replied with a decisive 3-0 win at home to set up a do-or-die matchup on Friday, but they failed to overcome L.A. and suffered a 1-0 defeat.

Benjamin Mora, a finalist for Canadian Premier League coach of the year, has left York United FC after five months and 22 matches at the helm.

Paris police said Sunday that 4,000 officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed for a France-Israel soccer match to ensure security a week after violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam.