Microbiome analysis and pathogen survey in Ixodes scapularis across the Upper Midwest

The range expansion of the blacklegged tick (I. scapularis) across the Upper Midwest in recent decades has raised questions about the driving factors that have allowed for this expansion into the colder parts of the region. The role of pathogens and microbes have in helping facilitate this range expansion is still unclear. In order to help answer this we sampled ticks across a many site based on a variety of conditions and examined the bacterial microbiomes of the tick. Using models build on this microbiome data we examined the microbial relationships with each other but also with the environment and found that microbial relationships play a larger role in shaping the microbiome in the tick than environmental factors. Using the collected ticks, we were also able to survey tick borne pathogens strains and their prevalence’s across tick populations in the Upper Midwest.