Lyme Disease Tick's Acquisition of Ancient Antibiotic Gene Protects Them against Human Skin Bacteria
A tick on a blade of grass, waiting for passing prey. [Matt Pinski] Blood-sucking ticks spread a wider range of microbes to humans and other vertebrates than do any other known insect, causing a multitude of diseases in people and livestock. But a question that has puzzled scientists is how do the ticks protect themselves from potential pathogens they encounter on and in their hosts? A research team led by Seemay Chou, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator, has now discovered that a...
Source: genengnews.com