Welcome to the Städele Laboratory
Laboratory of
Tick Neurophysiology
ABOUT US
We focus on the sensory neurophysiology of host-seeking and host-preference in ticks.
Ticks, whose global population has doubled over the past 14 years, are emerging as an increasingly severe public health threat. While not as immediately deadly as mosquitoes, ticks transmit a broader range of infectious agents than other blood-feeding arthropods. These include Lyme disease (Borrelia), tick-borne encephalitis (FSME), anaplasmosis, and many others, posing a growing risk to human and animal health worldwide.
Male and female ticks require at least one blood meal at each of their three developmental stages to complete their life cycle, making host-seeking behavior crucial for reproduction. Despite their significant role as disease vectors, our understanding of tick biology - especially how they locate and select hosts - remains limited. Without this knowledge, developing effective strategies to control their growing populations is challenging.
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One potential approach to controlling tick populations is disrupting their ability to find hosts. However, tick neurophysiology has been largely overlooked. Their sensory and neuronal systems are still poorly understood, and our lab is committed to changing this. By utilizing advanced tools and assays, we aim to unravel the complexities of tick sensory neurophysiology, paving the way for novel control strategies.
​​OUR RESEARCH GROUP
The Städele Laboratory is a dynamic, interdisciplinary team of scientists passionate about neurobiology and public health. We combine neuroanatomy, electrophysiology, behavioral neuroscience, and proteomics expertise to tackle pressing questions about tick biology. Our collaborative environment fosters creativity and innovation, enabling us to explore uncharted territories in tick sensory neurobiology.
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​​​​OUR MODEL ORGANISM
Ticks are notorious for their blood-feeding habits and the diseases they transmit. However, they are also fascinating and vital organisms to study. As obligate blood-feeding ectoparasites, their ability to locate and feed on hosts is essential for survival and reproduction. We study a variety of tick species, with a particular focus on the castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus), one of the most common ticks in Europe and a significant vector for diseases like Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis (FSME). Our interdisciplinary approach and modern techniques allow us to investigate how ticks sense, process, and respond to environmental cues, bridging the gap between fundamental neuroscience and applied research. ​​​​​​​​​​​
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​​​OUR RESEARCH AIMS
We aim to answer critical questions about the neurobiology of ticks:
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Host-Seeking Behavior: What does host-seeking look like in ticks, and how do they locate hosts?
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Sensory Cues: What host-emitted cues do ticks rely on, and how do they detect them?
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Sensory Organs: What sensory organs do ticks have, and how are these organs structured to detect environmental stimuli?
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Nervous System Anatomy: What does the tick nervous system look like, and how is it organized?
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Signal Processing: How are sensory signals integrated and processed within the tick brain?
By addressing these questions, we hope to uncover critical insights into ticks' sensory neurobiology, laying the foundation for innovative strategies to control tick populations and reduce the spread of tick-borne diseases.​​​​​​​​​​
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​​OUR METHODS​​​​​​​
Behavior
Neuroanatomy
Electrophysiology
Proteomics
