This study analyzes genomic admixture in Ixodes scapularis ticks from the Great Plains, finding admixed populations in Nebraska with no B. burgdorferi infection, suggesting genomic factors influence Lyme disease transmission.

Molecular Ecology · Oct 1, 2026Peer-reviewedGenomics

Genomic Characterization of a Severe West Nile Virus Transmission Season using a Single Reaction Amplicon Sequencing Approach

Shawn Freed, Sarah Chandler, Sarah A. Uhm, Zach Pella, Dikchha Gurung, Hallie Smith, Tammy Dowdy, Amanda M. Bartling, Ava Butz, Michael R. Wiley, Mara Jana Broadhurst, Sydney R. Stein, Emily L. McCutchen, Jeff Hamik, Peter C. Iwen, , Joseph R. Fauver

The paper validates a single reaction amplicon sequencing approach for generating high-quality WNV genomes and characterizes transmission dynamics during a 2023 outbreak in Nebraska.

PLoS neglected tropical diseases · Jan 21, 2026Peer-reviewedGenomics

SARS-CoV-2 Infection of Salivary Glands Compromises Oral Antifungal InnateImmunity and Predisposes to Oral Candidiasis

Areej A. Alfaifi, Tristan W. Wang, Paola Pérez, Ahmed S. Sultan, Timothy F. Meiller, Peter Rock, David Erwin Kleiner, Daniel S. Chertow, Stephen M. Hewitt, Billel Gasmi, Sydney R. Stein, Sabrina C. Ramelli, Daniel Martı́n, Blake M. Warner, Mary Ann Jabra‐Rizk

This study shows SARS-CoV-2 infection reduces histatin-5 in salivary glands, impairing antifungal immunity and increasing Candida albicans prevalence in COVID-19 patients.

PLoS Pathogens · Dec 12, 2024Peer-reviewedMicrobiology