Scientist and creative talent, Perran Ross has created this beautiful clay animation capturing the life-cycle of an Aedes aegypti mosquito.

A word from the creator

“As a scientist with a creative side I have always wanted to combine my research subject with an artistic pursuit. I used to make stop-motion animations as a childhood hobby, and having worked with mosquitoes for nearly a decade I thought it was a unique opportunity for me to make something that was scientifically accurate but also entertaining. 

Making videos is a great way to engage the general public with your research. Most people know that mosquitoes feed on blood and spread pathogens, but I wanted to teach people about the lesser known side of mosquitoes.

Stop-motion is a fun (but extremely time-consuming) method of animation. I started shooting early this year and only just finished editing, so it has taken a few months in total of my spare time. Over a weekend I might spend a few hours shooting 2-3 "scenes" which may add up to only a few seconds of footage.

Living with cats is also a challenge for making claymation. If you look closely at individual frames you will see hundreds of cat hairs throughout the film.” 

Perran Ross