Bead mill homogenization and chemagic 360 automated DNA extraction workflow for high-definition PCR detection of tick-borne pathogens.

This increasing burden of tick-borne disease has prompted numerous public health efforts for mitigation and epidemiologic surveillance of various disease-carrying ticks and the pathogens circulating within them. To fully evaluate the risk posed by a given tick population, their pathogen burden must be characterized and understood. The most sensitive and specific screening methods for pathogens seen in arthropod vectors currently rely on PCR-based testing; a tick may be screened by utilizing targeted primers for the presence of DNA from pathogens of interest. These screening measures can help medical and public health professionals identify, prepare for, and treat potential emerging infections in their communities.

Here, we demonstrate a complete workflow incorporating the Omni Bead Ruptor Elite bead mill homogenizer, the chemagic 360 automated nucleic acid extractor and the HDPCR TBP Panel. Utilizing this workflow, we describe a method that can dramatically decrease the time required to screen a population of ticks while maintaining sensitivity and specificity of detection below clinically relevant copy numbers.