A Parasitic Puzzle: Exploring the genomic secrets of Australian ticks

In the field of genomics, researchers like Dr Amanda Duarte Barbosa are driven by an insatiable curiosity to unravel the mysteries held within the DNA of various organisms. A Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, Murdoch University, WA, Amanda specialises in the molecular epidemiology of vector-borne pathogens that affect the animal-human-ecosystem interface, and it’s the enigmatic tick that has captured her attention.

With a keen interest in disease transmission dynamics and its impact on the health of people and animals, Amanda embarked on a journey to explore the genetic diversity of microbes in Australian ticks and their native mammalian hosts.

For many years, Amanda and her team have focused on identifying and characterising the microbiome of these ticks as a primary objective. “It’s been a huge knowledge gap and in the past 10 years, our team has discovered a plethora of novel microorganisms in Australian ticks,” says Amanda. As the research progressed, it opened a new avenue of inquiry leading her to investigate whether these bacteria could be associated with tick-borne illness.

To gain deeper insights into the impact of microbes in ticks, the researchers have been working with AGRF and employing the latest techniques for microbial profiling, including Next Generation Sequencing and Long-read genomic analysis. “We’re interested to learn if the microbes are associated with chronic illness that many people have developed after getting bitten by a tick,” she says. “A major component of our research is to understand the causes of tick-borne illness in Australia and the implications for human and animal health. Working with AGRF has enabled us to achieve excellent and reliable results based on high quality sequencing data to support our research.”

With a structured approach, the team has recruited a national cohort of blood samples, skin biopsies and ticks removed from patients. With careful dedication, Amanda and her team have begun to unravel the genomic secrets held within ticks to investigate associations between microorganisms transmitted to patients during a tick bite and the development of acute and chronic disease symptoms such as skin rashes, fever, headaches, fatigue and neurological symptoms.

Exploring the connection between tick pathogens, humans and the environment carries significant implications for human and animal health. By creating new avenues of knowledge Amanda’s investigations will contribute towards a deeper understanding of our native population of ticks and open the door for public health initiatives for Australian conditions.