The microbiome communities in lab-grown Amblyomma americanum ticks

The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is a competent vector of various emerging viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens as well as Alpha-Gal syndrome. The composition of its bacterial communities residing within different developmental stages remains understudied. In this study, we assessed the microbiome of Am. americanum in all developmental stages, including eggs, unfed and blood-fed larvae, nymphs, adult males and females, and tissue types (salivary glands, midgut, and ovaries) by utilizing 16S rRNA sequencing.