Microbiome Analysis of the Gulf Coast Tick (Amblyomma maculatum) in Southeastern Virginia

Description/Abstract/Artist Statement

Amblyomma maculatum, also known as the Gulf Coast tick, is an ectoparasite historically found throughout much of the southeastern United States. Over the past several decades, A. maculatum has expanded northwards from its historical range. Expansion of A. maculatum presents medical concerns, as this tick is a principal vector of the bacterium Rickettsia parkeri. R. parkeri is a member of the Spotted Fever group rickettsiae, which can cause disease in humans. R. parkeri prevalence in the expansion zone is considerably greater than in the historical range and exceeds that of other known tick-borne rickettsial pathogens in the United States. With this increased prevalence of R. parkeri, the study of the microbial community carried by Virginia ticks is relevant because of the importance of the microbial community to pathogen transmission and vector competence. To better understand influences of microbial community on R. parkeri prevalence and transmission we will conduct an analysis of the A. maculatum microbiome from three different locations in SE Virginia. A microbiome is the community of microorganisms that lives on and inside of an individual, and may be influenced by the environment, food sources, and the presence of other pathogens in the microbiome itself. Microbiome analysis will be conducted to examine effects of tick sex, collection location, and the presence of R. parkeri on the microbial community composition of A. maculatum. Additionally, we will consider common methodologies used to analyze microbial DNA and examine potential sources of error.

Presenting Author Name/s

David Baker, Ashley Person, and Samantha White

Faculty Advisor/Mentor

David Gauthier

Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department

Biological Sciences Department

College Affiliation

College of Sciences

Presentation Type

Poster

Disciplines

Bioinformatics | Computational Biology | Entomology | Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology | Other Genetics and Genomics

Session Title

Poster Session

Location

Learning Commons Lobby @ Perry Library

Start Date

3-25-2023 8:30 AM

End Date

3-25-2023 10:00 AM

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Mar 25th, 8:30 AM Mar 25th, 10:00 AM

Microbiome Analysis of the Gulf Coast Tick (Amblyomma maculatum) in Southeastern Virginia

Learning Commons Lobby @ Perry Library

Amblyomma maculatum, also known as the Gulf Coast tick, is an ectoparasite historically found throughout much of the southeastern United States. Over the past several decades, A. maculatum has expanded northwards from its historical range. Expansion of A. maculatum presents medical concerns, as this tick is a principal vector of the bacterium Rickettsia parkeri. R. parkeri is a member of the Spotted Fever group rickettsiae, which can cause disease in humans. R. parkeri prevalence in the expansion zone is considerably greater than in the historical range and exceeds that of other known tick-borne rickettsial pathogens in the United States. With this increased prevalence of R. parkeri, the study of the microbial community carried by Virginia ticks is relevant because of the importance of the microbial community to pathogen transmission and vector competence. To better understand influences of microbial community on R. parkeri prevalence and transmission we will conduct an analysis of the A. maculatum microbiome from three different locations in SE Virginia. A microbiome is the community of microorganisms that lives on and inside of an individual, and may be influenced by the environment, food sources, and the presence of other pathogens in the microbiome itself. Microbiome analysis will be conducted to examine effects of tick sex, collection location, and the presence of R. parkeri on the microbial community composition of A. maculatum. Additionally, we will consider common methodologies used to analyze microbial DNA and examine potential sources of error.