Identifying tick genes could halt disease, bioterror...( t tell that they are present and a whol...)

Currently very little is known about the tick genome, which is about two-thirds the size of the human genome, Hill said. Many animals and plants have similar genes with similar functions, but ticks have some unique genes different even from other invertebrates.

With a better understanding of the deer tick, researchers hope to learn much about the whole branch of the evolutionary tree that includes this arthropod, she said.

"This is an exciting opportunity to study this unique organism in a new way," Hill said. "We will be able to identify targets for development of novel insecticides to control ticks and new vaccines to control the pathogens they carry."

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Contact: Susan A. Steeves
ssteeves@purdue.edu
765-496-7481
Purdue University
2-Sep-2004