Amblyomma americanum Genomics and Pathogen Biology
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Ticks are eight-legged arthropods classified as acarids, a discrete taxonomic subgroup within the arachnids that also includes mites. Ticks are blood-sucking external parasites that vector a greater diversity of human pathogens than any other arthropod, and are the primary source of vector-borne infectious disease in the United States. In addition to pathogens, ticks harbor a wide variety of non-pathogenic commensalistic microbes and vertically-transmitted (through eggs) symbionts.
Amblyomma americanum is one of the most important emerging disease vectors in the southern and eastern United States. In collaboration with Drs. Keith Clay and Clay Fuqua (Dept. of Biology), this project employs high-throughput cDNA library construction and sequencing to characterize the expressed genome of
A. americanum from both sexes at all different life stages. Microarrays are used in studying the developmental biology, cytology and host-microbe interaction for this important disease vector.
PROJECT LEADERS: John Colbourne
FUNDING: The Indiana Center for Insect Genomics, & The Indiana Metabolomics and Cytomics Initiative (METACyt)
DATA: Sequencing of cDNA libraries is complete. Project updates are posted.
