# Integrating population genomics and microbial metagenomics of the lone star tick, an expanding arthropod disease vector

> **NIH NIH R15** · PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $428,341

## Abstract

Integrating population genomics and microbial metagenomics of the lone star tick, an expanding
 arthropod disease vector
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Ticks are the most important vectors of disease-causing pathogens in the United States. The lone star tick,
Amblyomma americanum, is a competent vector of various pathogenic microorganisms. There are several
critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of the basic biology of the lone star tick, an arthropod disease
vector that is rapidly expanding its geographic distribution into the Midwest and Northeast. Little is known about
how the diversity of the tick’s genome and the microbial diversity of the tick’s microbiome affect the ability of
specific pathogens to infect a tick. The main objective of this research is to generate an integrated genetic
epidemiology for tick-borne diseases that incorporates the genomic diversity of vector, the species diversity of
its microbiome, and the prevalence of known pathogens. The overarching hypothesis is that genomic diversity
of tick vectors is positively associated with microbial species diversity and negatively associated with pathogen
prevalence. The Principal Investigator will use next-generation DNA sequencing to test the overarching
hypothesis and achieve the main objective of this project through three specific aims: (1) Investigate the spatial
distribution of genomic variation among populations of lone star tick near the western and northern species range
boundaries. The working hypothesis is that a cline of genomic diversity corresponds to increasingly stressful
climatic conditions at the edges of the species range, suggesting that range expansion coincides with
microevolutionary change. (2) Characterize the microbiome of lone star tick and assess its relationship to host
genomic diversity. The working hypothesis is that greater genomic diversity of ticks permits a greater microbial
species diversity in ticks, suggesting that host genotype affects microbiome composition. (3) Examine the effects
of genomic diversity and microbial diversity on pathogen infection in individual ticks. The working hypothesis is
that high genomic and microbial diversity of individual ticks reduces infection by pathogenic bacteria, suggesting
that competitive interactions of microbes inside of ticks govern the prevalence of specific tick-borne pathogens
at broader scales. This study is innovative because it will (a) uniquely bridge methodologies in population
genomics, bacterial metagenomics, and community ecology of vector-borne pathogens; (b) generate genomic
data that will be a valuable resource for future investigations of A. americanum and other ticks; and (c) illuminate
the importance of accounting for genomic and microbiome diversity in laboratory-reared ticks used in studies of
pathogen transmission, host immunology, and acaricides. This study is significant because it will shed light
on the microbial interactions within individual ticks that may influence pathogen dynam...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10360088
- **Project number:** 1R15AI159851-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Javier Monzon
- **Activity code:** R15 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $428,341
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10360088

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10360088, Integrating population genomics and microbial metagenomics of the lone star tick, an expanding arthropod disease vector (1R15AI159851-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10360088. Licensed CC0.

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