Ixodes scapularis Raw sequence reads. Ixodes scapularis

Goal: Define the microbiome of wild-caught IxodidaeRelevance: The microbiota of arthropod disease vectors has been shown to inhibit pathogen transmission. Hard ticks transmit numerous pathogens including the causative agent of Lyme Disease, Borrelia burgdorferi. However, a lack of consensus in the literature regarding the abundance and diversity of the microbiota in ticks renders its utility in disease prevention questionable. Here we broadly sequence adult hard ticks from the Midwest United States to carefully define associated bacteria using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.