Nicoletta Faraone, an associate professor of chemistry, is set to lead the Canadian Tick Research and Innovation Centre at Acadia University, a groundbreaking initiative in Canada. The new facility will be exclusively dedicated to researching ticks, breeding them, testing repellents, and investigating tick-borne diseases with a primary focus on public health protection.
Faraone emphasized the significance of the research center in safeguarding the public, particularly in Nova Scotia, which has a high incidence of ticks per capita. The team relies on lab-bred ticks to ensure they are free from diseases. Currently, there is only one known tick-breeding facility in North America, located at Oklahoma State University, where ticks are sold for $5 each.
The official opening of the research center at Acadia is scheduled for spring, with the establishment of tick stocks and research activities expected to follow within a year. Luís Anholeto, a post-doctoral fellow in the chemistry department, will serve as the lab manager. Anholeto highlighted the importance of having a local tickery to work with strains relevant to Canadian and Nova Scotian public health, including blacklegged and dog ticks.
Three years of unsuccessful funding applications did not deter the team’s determination to establish the tickery. A major breakthrough came with a generous donation of $755,000 from Peter and Susan Gordon in Ontario, enabling the project’s initiation. Faraone expressed gratitude for the support, emphasizing the importance of believing in science.
The goal is to have three full-time staff at the tickery, aiming for financial self-sufficiency within five years through tick sales. Anholeto, equally enthusiastic about the opportunity, expressed a passion for tick research and the quest to develop solutions for preventing the spread of tick-borne diseases.
The Canadian Tick Research and Innovation Centre at Acadia University is poised to make significant contributions to tick-related research, benefiting public health initiatives in Canada and beyond.
