RNAseq analyses of the midgut from blood or serum-fed Ixodes ricinus ticks

We aimed to characterize the gut transcriptome composition at early stage of feeding (day 3) and late stage of feeding (day 8) of Ixodes ricinus adult females. To address specific blood-feeding adaptations, such as haemoglobin digestion and heme oxidant damage protection, we have characterized gut transcriptomes of blood- and serum-fed ticks. To decrease the sequence diversity of retrieved contigs, we have raised a genetically related cohort of adult I. ricinus ticks (first generation siblings).