We study gene function in insect vectors of human diseases, particularly in the Chagas disease vector Rhodnius prolixus. Particularly, we are interested in identifying genes that control embryonic and germline development, as they represent potential targets for future biological control strategies. In this biotechnological project we are testing the use CRISPR gene editing assays, which aim to define the conditions to generate knockout animals or animals with insertions of genes of interest that may alter their vectorial capacity.