Ixodes scapularis breed:MGN Genome sequencing and assembly

Ixodes scapularis is one of the most important tick species responsible for most cases of Lyme disease in the United States and was the first to have a sequenced genome. However, the I. scapularis genome, IscaW1, was highly fragmented. In our attempt to improve the genome assembly, we combined the power of HiC, PacBio, 10x linked reads, and Illumina short-read sequencing to produce a chromosome-level genome assembly, IscGN. The IscGN assembly is ~2.5 Gbp compared to 1.8 Gbp IscaW1 assembly, has predicted sexual chromosomes: X and Y and increased number of known proteases and chemosensory ionotropic receptors.