Heated battle: Microwaving insecticides to fight malaria

Bart Kahr's team applied heat using both a microwave and oven to modify the crystal structure of deltamethrin. [Courtesy]

In Kenya, a silent battle rages between humanity and one of its oldest foes; the mosquito. These tiny, buzzling creatures carry with them the deadly threat of malaria. But as with any war, the enemy adapts.

In this case, certain types of mosquitoes like anopheles gambiae, a type mostly found in coastal and western Kenya, have developed resistance to one of the most commonly used insecticides: deltamethrin.