Read about some of our ongoing research studies, or check out opportunities to be an active participant in scientific research to prevent tick encounters.
Anti-tick Vaccine Development
This project stems from the observation that an acquired tick resistance (ATR) to blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) blood feeding provides partial (~70%) protection from Lyme disease spirochete infection in a Guinea pig (GP) model. The project builds upon a suite of novel high-throughput antigen screening tools, developed over the past 5 year period; these tools have allowed us to investigate the tick's salivary transcriptome and begin to define its immunome, bringing us closer to understanding how to achieve effective host immune defense against tick-transmitted pathogens.
Specifically, this project's goal is to identify a vaccination strategy for protecting against a broad array of tick-transmitted infections, testing the hypothesis that this protection can be achieved by using one or more tick salivary antigens to induce an ATR response.
The work has been supported by National Institutes of Health Grant R01 37230.
Tick Bite Patch
Development of the "Tick Bite Patch", a transdermal delivery system for anti-tick vaccines, is an all-Rhode Island collaboration between three well-established laboratories at the University of Rhode Island and two early-stage Rhode Island-based biotechnology companies.
Tick Bite Protection With Permethrin-Treated Summer Clothing
Insect repellents represent one of the first lines of defense against attacks by blood feeding ticks and the diseases they can transmit. The most common products contain DEET and are applied to skin. An alternative personal-use repellent strategy is to apply repellent or toxicant products (usually permethrin) to clothing or other fabrics rather than directly on the skin.
Anti-tick Vaccine Development
This project stems from the observation that an acquired tick resistance (ATR) to blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) blood feeding provides partial (~70%) protection from Lyme disease spirochete infection in a Guinea pig (GP) model. The project builds upon a suite of novel high-throughput antigen screening tools, developed over the past 5 year period.
Area-Wide Tick Control
For over a decade, Narragansett has reported one of the highest incidence rates for Lyme disease in Rhode Island. Even last year when ticks were less abundant, 1 out of every 400 residents suffered a newly identified case.
