A living collection: How Georgia Southern fosters research with global impact

The U.S. National Tick Collection (USNTC) has been housed on Georgia Southern University’s Statesboro Campus since 1990, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. But it’s far more than a nondescript exhibit tucked away in the bottom of a building. It is a living, breathing resource and a primary research hub for scientists, students, physicians, veterinarians and public health professionals from around the world. 

Among its most valuable holdings are type specimens, which are used to identify and describe tick species. They serve as scientific vouchers against which researchers can compare their own samples, resolve questions about species identification and deepen the world’s understanding of ticks and the sometimes fatal diseases they may carry. Lorenza Beati, Ph.D., a Swiss physician, biologist and parasitologist who has served as the collection’s curator for more than 20 years, estimates the 120-year-old collection houses between one-third and one-half of the world’s tick type specimens.

“A lot of researchers come just to see these specimens because they have some taxonomic questions about their own samples,” said Beati.

Researchers study the specimens’ morphology, or physical form and structures, to identify, describe and differentiate species. Beati also conducts molecular research, studying tick genes, population genetics and genomes to explore relationships among species and resolve questions about their classification and phylogeographical evolutive history. Together, these traditional and molecular approaches support the collection’s central work in taxonomy, which consists of identifying, naming and classifying ticks.

Yet the collection, which provides an incomparable foundation for research, is only as valuable as the experts who understand and interpret it.

At the heart of the lab are Beati, who joined the University in 2004, and Dmitry Apanaskevich, Ph.D., a primary global expert in tick systematics who arrived at Georgia Southern in 2006 following his studies in Russia. An annual ranking from Stanford University and Elsevier, which identifies the world’s most-cited researchers, has consistently recognized Apanaskevich among the world’s top 2% of scientists.

Hired as curators of the collection, Beati and Apanaskevich later joined the faculty. Within the last 10 years, they have secured $3 million in research grants, authored 119 research papers and created a teaching and research environment that educates and inspires students and professionals through personal attention, scientific expertise and unrivaled access to the collection.

“We collaborate with a lot of people around the world,” said Beati. “And I would say every single small or large project can be very exciting in one way or another.”

Researchers visit the collection in the Math/Physics Building for access not only to its specimens but also to the expertise of Beati and Apanaskevich. Some come for a few days; others stay for months. During each visit, the curators host, teach and share knowledge derived from specimens that cannot be found in any other modern collection. Beati recalled that some of the best collaborative work emerged at her dining room table, where she and global scientists discussed their research and findings over a home-cooked meal.

Although only a small portion of the world’s tick species transmit disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites, their bites can cause serious and sometimes fatal illnesses in humans, domestic animals and wildlife. Because Beati and Apanaskevich know ticks so intimately through their taxonomic research, they also collaborate with scientists studying tick-borne diseases and their effects worldwide.

“The collection is a vital resource for scientists and public health officials, helping us understand and combat tick-borne diseases,” Beati said.

Apanaskevich currently has a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s medical research agency, to study the taxonomy of Hyalomma ticks. Found primarily in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, the ticks transmit some of the world’s most dangerous diseases.

“They are moving into Europe with climate change,” said Beati. “So those are very important tick species in terms of global health around the world, not just for the U.S. The mission of the collection is really international.

“We have samples from every single continent. It’s the largest collection in the world. So we have people constantly coming and working with us from everywhere. Our mission is not just to work on local or American kinds of issues; we have more of an international field with our research collaboration.”

Beati is currently leading a project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that examines an increase in ticks and emerging tick-borne diseases affecting humans and cattle in Uganda. She and her team are also training local students and health personnel to strengthen preparedness for outbreaks caused by previously unknown disease-causing agents.

“The real interest is in understanding the system there,” said Beati. “We have to get interested in systems outside the country. We need to understand how they function. All this research around the world is helping us understand mechanisms of tick-borne diseases.”

In the last decade, nearly 30 undergraduate and graduate students have participated in the collection’s global research. Some have coauthored papers with Beati and Apanaskevich, gaining extraordinary access to experiences that have helped them build successful careers in academia and the private sector.

“It’s an incredible opportunity,” said Beati. “Tick-borne diseases are worrying people and so, I think there are going to be jobs around for quite some time.”

Since 2018, Beati has also offered the annual Summer Tick Workshop at the James H. Oliver, Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Science on the Statesboro Campus, which attracts international public health officials and other professionals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pharmaceutical companies and the U.S. Army. Entomologists from Fort Stewart attend to learn how to identify and differentiate ticks, mitigating risk for deployed military members.  

“This dedication to education ensures that the knowledge and expertise needed to understand and combat tick-borne diseases will continue to thrive,” said Beati.