Ixodes scapularis Genome Project
Ixodes scapularis, the blacklegged or deer tick, transmits a number of organisms that cause disease, but is best known as the principal vector of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Ticks rank second to mosquitoes in importance as vectors of human disease. The goal of the sequencing project is to provide genomic resources to support research on this and related tick species.
The Ixodes scapularis genome appears to be very large in size, ~ 2.1 Gbp. The Broad Institute and The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR), NIAID's contract Microbial Sequencing Centers, will jointly participate in this project. The MSCs will generate an assembly derived from random shotgun sequencing of the tick genome to six-fold sequence coverage. In addition, EST and BAC end sequence data and complete BAC insert sequences of some randomly selected and community defined BAC clones will be generated.
The current project plan is available here.
Investigators and Collaborators
Caler, Elisabet | J. Craig Venter Institute |
Dept of Entomology, Purdue University | |
Nene, Vishvanath | Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine |
University of Connecticut Health Center |
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