> Scientists in Goa are excited over the discovery of a species of fungi - simple plants that contain no chlorophyll - which is highly effective in killing mosquito larvae. The identity of the fungus has been kept a secret, since it may be patented by other countries, and code-named MRC-367. Larvae die within hours of ingesting the spores of the fungus, and it could help fight malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.

"We have not found this species mentioned anywhere else. It could be a new one," Malaria Research Centre (MRC) scientist in-charge Ashwani Kumar told Down To Earth . Peering through a microscope which magnifies the tiny fungus four hundred times, scientist D Thavaselvam said that the team was "lucky" in discovering it after screening barely 200 microbes over a six-month period. "It's just luck. You could screen thousands and still not find anything," he said. Studies are underway to ensure that the fungus is safe, and does not affect unintended targets.

The officials said that more research is needed to decide whether the fungus can help control malaria in India, but the find has already drawn the attention of countries as distant as Canada and Trinidad and Tobago.

The team which discovered the fungus includes D J Bhat of Goa University, a specialist on fungi. Bhat points out that microbes can offer a far safer way to tackle mosquito-borne diseases. "Chemicals are very broad-spectrum (they affect other life-forms)," says Kumar. "Biocides are target-specific in action." Goa has seen a fivefold rise in the number of malaria cases between 1993 and 1996, despite community involvement, widespread awareness about malaria and the initial success of bioenvironmental control methods used by the MRC.