Lake Victoria Basin Anopheles gambiae whole genome sequences. Anopheles gambiae

Modeling and cage experiments suggest that mosquito gene drive systems will enable malaria eradication, but establishing safety and efficacy requires field-testing in isolated populations. Documenting genetic isolation is notoriously difficult for species with vast polymorphic populations like the principal African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. Using genome-wide variation, we assess Lake Victoria islands as candidate field-testing sites. One island, 30 kilometers offshore, is as differentiated from mainland samples as populations from across the continent, and we confirm isolation using adaptive variation as a powerful assay of connectivity. Collectively, our results suggest sufficient contemporary isolation of these islands to warrant consideration as field-testing locations.