Researchers Lakamy Sylla, ACEME, Dickson Lwetoijera, Transmission Zero, Jonathan Kayondo and Krystal Birungi, Target Malaria, took the stage at this year’s Grand Challenges meeting in London to spotlight African‑led innovation for malaria control. Their contributions underscored how scientists from malaria‑endemic countries are building local capacity and leading research on new genetic tools to fight malaria.

ACEME marks major milestone in genetic modification
Researchers from the African Center for Excellence in Molecular Engineering (ACEME) based at the University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB) have successfully developed a strain of genetically modified mosquitoes carrying a fluorescent marker in the laboratory. This achievement marks a first in Mali and the wider West African region, at a center created to place African scientists at the heart of the fight against vector‑borne diseases. ACEME can now introduce and track genetic changes in local vector species, strengthening regional capacity to develop and assess new genetic tools for mosquito‑borne disease control.