Professor Benjamin Clarke

Ixodes scapularis is the vector for several human diseases, particularly Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. This group's objective is to survey the gut microbiome of wild ticks captured within the region of Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin to identify microbial communitities that support Borrelia presence in Ixodes. A preliminary survey of captured Ixodes-carrying Borrelia, identified by quantitative PCR, demonstrates a variability between 45-80% infected ticks within different counties from both states. The object of this research is to determine the extent of diversity in gut microbiomes from each county, and then identify if certain bacteria promote Borrelia presence in the gut. A second project in development will be to look for potential shifts in gene expression within fibroblasts and macrophage following the internalization of Borrelia burgdorfei by coiling phagocytosis. The objective will be to perform RNA-seq analysis to identify relevant genes employed during the inflammatory process occuring in Borreliosis.