Brazilian Scientist Behind Wolbachia Mosquitoes Named to Nature’s 10 for 2025

Overview

• Nature’s editors selected Luciano Andrade Moreira to their 2025 Nature’s 10 list for his work adapting Wolbachia to curb Aedes-borne viruses.
• A Curitiba biofactory he leads is producing roughly 100 million Wolbachia-infected Aedes eggs each week for public releases.
• Deployments now supply at least 16 Brazilian cities, with plans reported to extend to 13 additional municipalities in 2026.
• A Lancet study found areas with Wolbachia mosquitoes recorded an average 63% drop in dengue cases, reaching up to 89% in some locations.
• Brazil’s Health Ministry has integrated the Wolbachia method into its arbovirus strategy, even as scientists continue probing how the bacterium blocks viruses.