A fungus with tick-control potential

Post-doctoral fellow Luis Anholeto led this study examining the tick-killing potential of a fungus growing from wild-collected Dog ticks in Nova Scotia. Luis, and undergraduate Chemistry student Creighton, found that both Blacklegged and Dog ticks are susceptible to this fungus - both in terms of mortality, as well as some pretty funky sublethal effects when it causes their limbs to fall off! When it comes to tick control, dead ticks and ticks that can't quest will get the job done. The next steps will be to determine if this fungus works in field trials, and if there are any off-target effects on other arthropods. A great collaboration between the Faraone and Ferguson labs! Available here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102599