67 - Laser focused: mid-infrared spectroscopy as a novel, non-destructive tool to detect pathogen infection in Cattle Fever ticks

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

4:10 PM - 4:20 PM PDT

Location: B119

Presenter(s)

Joshua P. Jackson, PhD Student

Graduate Research Assistant
Kansas State University, Kansas, United States

Co-Author(s)

AG

Autumn Goodwin, MSE

CTO and CoFounder
Vectech, Maryland, United States
VI

Vicky Ikonomidou, PhD

Vectech, Maryland, United States
LC

Lee W. Cohnstaedt, n/a

USDA ARS, Kansas, United States
CO

Cassandra Olds, n/a

Kansas State University, Kansas, United States

Abstract: Current molecular surveillance techniques against the reintroduction of economically devastating tick-vectored Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina parasites are resource-limited. Mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy and computer vision offer a promising non-destructive, reagent-less pathogen detection tool. Logistic-regression analysis of MIR spectra obtained from infected and uninfected colony-reared Rhipicephalus microplus ticks correctly classified B. bovis and B. bigemina infected specimens with 83% and 86% accuracy respectively, demonstrating exciting potential as a low-cost screening tool for Cattle Fever tick surveillance.