Biochemistry

The hard tick Ixodes ricinus is an important vector of human pathogens including Borrelia spirochetes (causing Lyme disease) and tick-borne encephalitis virus. The project is focused on the molecular interactions between tick and host investigated at the level of proteolytic processes and their regulation by natural inhibitors. The aim of the project is to identify and characterize novel antigens for the development of anti-tick vaccines. The research includes the following approaches: proteomics, recombinant expression and purification of proteins, enzymology, protein crystallization and molecular modeling.