16S amplicon sequences from Ae. aegypti reared in different water types

The mosquito microbiome is an important factor shaping the ability of a mosquito to become infected by and transmit arboviruses like Zika virus (ZIKV), termed vector competence. Because mosquitoes initially acquire microbes from their aqueous environment as larvae, and a significant fraction of larvae-derived microbiota persist in the adult stage, it is expected that mosquitoes with increased microbial exposure as larvae become less competent arboviral vectors. Moreover, higher observed transmission rates by laboratory-colonized mosquitoes relative to field-derived mosquitoes, historically attributed to mosquito inbreeding, may also be explained by reduced microbial exposure in laboratory settings. The goal of this project is to determine the impacts of bacterial microbiota acquired during larval development on ZIKV vector competence in Aedes aegypti, the primary ZIKV vector worldwide. Files contain 16S amplicon sequences from Ae. aegypti reared in laboratory tap water or environmental cemetery water, 14 days post-bloodmeal spiked with Zika virus.