Presenting At The Vbd Conference In Liverpool
Last week, our team travelled to Liverpool to present our work at the UK Vector-Borne Diseases (VBDs) Conference, bringing together researchers and public health experts working to better understand and respond to vector-borne threats across the UK.
Nina, Emma and Joseph shared the outcomes of the past three years of research focused on tick genomics in the UK. Our work has centred on generating high-quality reference genomes for tick species, providing essential resources to support improved surveillance, pathogen detection, and a deeper understanding of tick biology.
A key highlight of our contribution was the development of a novel “tick profiler” tool by Joseph. This approach enables simultaneous identification of:
the tick species itself host blood meal sources associated pathogens viral sequences present within samples
The tool integrates sequencing data with the UK Health Security Agency amplicon panel, allowing for a comprehensive and scalable method to characterise tick samples in a single workflow.
The conference provided a valuable opportunity to share these advances, engage with researchers across disciplines, and contribute to ongoing efforts aimed at strengthening the UK’s response to emerging vector-borne threats.