Office Hours
Biography
Dr. James Mutunga is an Assistant Professor in the School of Science, Engineering and Technology (SSET), at Penn State Harrisburg. He teaches ecology courses in the Biology Program and undertakes research in arthropod biology that involves graduate and undergraduate students. His research entails the application of ecology, molecular biology and biochemistry approaches to understand the biology of arthropods and their impact on animal, human, environmental and plant health. From a translational bench-to-field research pipeline, James explores discovery, testing and evaluation of pest/vector control strategies across epidemiological and agroecological landscapes, in a changing climate. He has been involved in the discovery and testing of novel resistance-breaking chemicals for disease vector control and exploring new drug targets for transmission blocking chemistries. The new pathogen transmission blocking molecules can be deployed as targets for vector control to impair disease occurrence.
The Mutunga research lab is focusing on understanding adaptations of arthropod pests and vectors to climate-change associated environmental perturbations. This includes intersections of microbial diversity in vectors and pests with antimicrobial and insecticide resistance traits across populations and their linkages to disease transmission risk. The Mutunga lab collaborates with scientists in academia and industry to integrate climate science, disease ecology, environmental and public health, vector bionomics, and metabolomics in research. Dr. Mutunga’s work also integrates community practices and lived experiences in co-creation of solutions that allow sustainable and scalable adoption, and use of new arthropod management strategies.
Research Interests
Design and testing of vector/pest control strategies/products, insect toxicology, Insecticide Resistance, Climate science and arthropod responses, infectious disease ecology
Publications
Komi Mensah Agboka, James Mutuku Mutunga, Mark Wamalwa
and Henri E.Z. Tonnang (2024). A mathematical model for mapping the
insecticide resistance trend in the Anopheles gambiae mosquito populationunder climate variability in Africa. Sci Rep 14, 9850.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-60555-z
Muema JM, Mutunga JM, Obonyo MA, Getahun MN, Mwakubambanya RS, Akala HM,Cheruiyot AC, Yeda RA, Juma DW, Andagalu B, Johnson JL, Roth AL and Bargul JL (2023) Isoliensinine from Cissampelos pariera rhizomes exhibits potential gametocytocidal and anti-malarial activities against Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates. Malar J 22, 161 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-023-04590-7
Muema JM, Bargul JL, Obonyo MA, Njeru SN, Matoke-Muhia D, Mutunga JM (2022). Contemporary exploitation of natural products for arthropod-borne pathogen transmission-blocking interventions. Parasites and Vectors. 24;15(1):298. doi: 10.1186/s13071-022-05367-8.
Roberds A, Kifude C, Oyieko J, Ocholla S, Mutunga J, Oullo D, Waga C, Li Z, Luckhart S and Stewart VA (2022) Longitudinal impact of asymptomatic malaria/HIV-1 co-infection on Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte transcript expression and transmission to Anopheles mosquitoes. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol. 12:934641. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.934641
Muema JM, Bargul J, Mutunga JM, Obonyo MA, Asudi GO and Njeru SN (2021) Neurotoxic Zanthoxylum chalybeum root constituents invoke mosquito larval growth retardation through ecdysteroidogenic CYP450s transcriptional perturbations, Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2021.104912
Esther Obonyo & James Mutunga (2020). A global building network research for advancing healthy and affordable housing, Cities & Health, DOI:10.1080/23748834.2020.1824958
Ogallo MB, Irene AL, Chepchumba B, Wanjala FM, Awiti CA and Mutunga JM (2020) Influence of Habitat Type in the Distribution and Abundance of Flying Insect Species in Kisumu National Polytechnic: Implications for Food Security. Molecular Entomology, 2020, Vol. 11, No. 1
Ogallo BM., Ouma P., Wanjala FM., Swale DR., and Mutunga JM. (2019). Optimizing a gravid mosquito resting box to enhance auto-dissemination of larvicides under semi-field conditions in Western Kenya, Journal of Mosquito Research, 9(4): 25-34 doi: 10.5376/jmr.2019.09.0004
Ng'ang'a PN, Mutunga JM, Oliech G and Mutero GM (2019). Communityknowledge and perceptions on malaria prevention and house screening. Preliminary observations in Nyabondo, Western Kenya. BMC Public Health Apr 2019; 19:423. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6723-3
Mutunga James, Ming Ma, Qiao-Hong Chen, Joshua Hartsel, Dawn Wong, Max Totrov, Paul Carlier, Jeff Bloomquist (2019). Acetylcholinesterases as a target for novel phenyl-substituted carbamates, Int J Environ Res PublicHealth. Apr 2019; 16(9). pii: E1500. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16091500.
Makanda M, Muema J, Bargul J, Wamuyu L, Kemunto G and Mutunga J (2019). Diversity and Molecular Characterization of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in selected ecological regions in Kenya F1000Research2019, 8:262 https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.18262.1
Paul R. Carlier, Qiao-Hong Chen, Astha Verma, Dawn M. Wong, James M. Mutunga, Jasmin Müller, Rafique Islam, Alex M. Shimozono, Fan Tong, Jianyong Li, Max Totrov, Jeffrey R. Bloomquist (2018). Select β- and γ-branched 1-alkylpyrazol-4-yl methylcarbamates exhibit high selectivity for inhibition of Anopheles gambiae versus human acetylcholinesterase. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2018.02.003
Quinlan MM, Clark L, Mutunga JM, Diabaté A, Namountougou M, Coulibaly MB, Sylla L, Kayondo J, Balyesima V, Benedict M, Raymond P (2018). Studies of transgenic mosquitoes in disease endemic countries: preparation of containment facilities. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 18(1):21-30. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2192.
Quinlan MM, Birungi J, Coulibaly MB, Diabaté A, Facchinelli L, Mukabana WR, Mutunga JM, Nolan T, Raymond P, Traoré SF (2018). Containment Studies of Transgenic Mosquitoes in Disease Endemic Countries: The Broad Concept of Facilities Readiness. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 18(1):14-20. doi:10.1089/vbz.2017.2189.
Moukam Kakmeni F.M., Guimapi Ritter Y.A., Ndjomatchoua F.T., Mutunga J.M. and Tonnang E.H.Z (2018). Spatial panorama of malaria prevalence in Africa under climate change and interventions scenarios. Int J Health Geogr.16;17(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s12942-018-0122-3.
Ogola E, Villinger J, Mabuka D, Omondi D, Orindi B, Mutunga J, Owino V, and Masiga D (2017). Composition of Anopheles mosquitoes, their blood-meal hosts, and plasmodium falciparum rates in three islands with disparate bednet coverage in Lake Victoria, Kenya. Malaria Journal, 16:360. DOI:10.1186/s12936-017-2015-5
Janneke Snetselaar, Basilio N Njiru, Beatrice Gachie, Phillip Owigo, Rob Andriessen, Katey Glunt, Anne J Osinga, James Mutunga, Marit Farenhorst and Bart G J Knols (2017). Eave tubes for malaria control in Africa. III: Prototyping and evaluation against Anopheles gambiae s.s. and An. arabiensis under semi-field conditions in western Kenya. Malaria Journal, 16:276. DOI:10.1186/s12936-017-1926-5
Muema JM, Nyanjom SG, Mutunga JM, Njeru SN and Bargul JL (2017). Green tea proanthocyanidins cause impairment of hormone-regulated larval development and reproductive fitness via repression of juvenile hormone methyltransferase, insulin-like peptide and cytochrome p450 genes in Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto. PLoS One. 2017. 12(3):e0173564. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0173564.
Muema JM; Bargul JL; Nyanjom SG; Mutunga JM and Njeru SN (2016). Potential of Camellia sinensis proanthocyanidins-rich fraction for controlling malaria mosquito populations through disruption of larval development. Parasites and Vectors, 9:512. DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1789-6
James M. Mutunga, Qiao-Hong Chen, Dawn M. Wong, Polo C-H. Lam, Jianyong Li, Maxim M. Totrov, Aaron D. Gross, Paul R. Carlier, and Jeffrey R. Bloomquist (2016). Bivalent carbamates as novel control agents of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. Chimia 70(10):704-708
Camerino E, Wong DM, Tong F, Körber F, Gross AD, Islam R, Viayna E, Mutunga JM, Li J, Totrov MM, Bloomquist JR, Carlier PR (2015). Difluoromethyl ketones: Potent inhibitors of wild type and carbamate-insensitive G119S mutant Anopheles gambiae acetylcholinesterase. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. Vol 25(20):4405-11. doi 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.09.019.
James M. Mutunga, Derek T. Craft, Troy D. Anderson, Daniel R. Swale, Fan Tong, Aaron Gross, Dawn M. Wong, Paul R. Carlier and Jeffrey R. Bloomquist (2015). Carbamate and pyrethroid resistance in the Akron strain of Anopheles gambiae. Pestic Biochem Physiol. 121:116-121. doi: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2015.03.001
A. Verma, D. M. Wong, R. Islam, F. Tong, M. Ghavami, Mutunga JM, C. Slebodnicka, J. Li, E. Viayna, P. C.-H. Lam, M. M. Totrov, J. R. Bloomquist, and P. R. Carlier. (2015). 3-Oxoisoxazole-2(3H)-carboxamides and isoxazol-3-yl carbamates: Resistance-breaking acetylcholinesterase inhibitors targeting the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. Bioorg. Med. Chem Vol15;23(6):1321-40. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2015.01.026
Bloomquist, Jeffrey; Mutunga, James; Islam, Rafique; Verma, Astha; Ma, Ming; Totrov, Max; Carlier, Paul (2014). Voltage-Sensitive Potassium Kv2 Channels as New Targets for Insecticides (in) America Chemical Society Books:Biopesticides: State of the Art and Future Opportunities Vol. 1172: Chapter 6, pp 71–81. doi: 10.1021/bk-2014-1172.ch006
James M. Mutunga, Dhana Raj Boina, Troy D. Anderson, Jeffrey R.
Bloomquist, Paul R. Carlier, Dawn M. Wong, Polo C.-H. Lam and Maxim. M.Totrov (2013). Neurotoxicology of bis(n)-tacrines on Blattella germanica and Drosophila melanogaster acetylcholinesterase. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology 83 (4): 180-194.
Wong DM, Li J, Lam PC, Hartsel JA, Mutunga JM, Totrov M, Bloomquist JR, Carlier PR (2013). Aryl methylcarbamates: potency and selectivity towards wild-type and carbamate-insensitive (G119S) Anopheles gambiae acetylcholinesterase, and toxicity to G3 strain An. gambiae. Chem Biol Interact. 25; 203(1):314-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cbi.2012.09.001.
Wong DM, Li J, Chen Q-H, Han Q, Mutunga JM, Wysinski A, Anderson TD, et al. (2012). Select small core structure carbamates exhibit high contact toxicity to ‘‘Carbamate-Resistant’’ Strain malaria mosquitoes,
Anopheles gambiae (Akron). PLoS ONE 7(10): e46712.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046712
Joshua A. Hartsel, Dawn M. Wong, James M. Mutunga, Ming Ma, Troy D. Anderson, Ania Wysinski, Rafique Islam, Eric A. Wong, Sally L. Paulson, Jianyong Li, Polo C.-H. Lam, Maxim Totrov, Jeffrey R. Bloomquist, Paul R. Carlier (2012). "Re-engineering aryl carbamates to confer high selectivity for inhibition of Anopheles gambiae vs human acetylcholinesterase" Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 22: 4593-4598. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2012.05.103
James M. Mutunga, Troy D. Anderson, Dawn M. Wong, Paul R. Carlier, and Jeffrey R. Bloomquist (2010). Inhibition of Blattella germanica (German cockroach) acetylcholinesterase by tacrine dimers: Prospects for the molecular design of a selective insecticide for a household pest. Pesticides in Household, Structural and Residential Pest Management, American Chemical Society book chapter, Oxford University Press, Eds. Chris Peterson and Daniel Stout, Jan 2010, ISBN13: 9780841269675 pp 41-50.
Chen Hong; Githeko Andrew K; Githure John I; Mutunga James; Zhou Guofa;Yan Guiyun. Monooxygenase levels and knockdown resistance (kdr) allele frequencies in Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles arabiensis in Kenya. Journal of medical entomology 2008; 45(2): 242-50
Education
University of Florida, Post Doc, May 2011-Feb 2012
Virginia Tech, PhD Entomology, Feb 2007 - May 2011
Jomo-Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, MSc Biochemistry, Jan 2002-June 2005
Jomo-Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, MSc Biochemistry, Apr 1997-Apr 2001