UC student research targets tick-borne illness
Nigerian student works to address Lyme disease
The Guardian highlighted student biology research that is pursuing pesticide-free ways of preventing tick-borne illness.
A dog tick in a UC biology lab. UC is studying ways to address tick-borne illness. Photo/Jay Yocis/UC
In UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor Joshua Benoit's lab, doctoral student Kosisochukwu Onyeagba is studying how to exploit a tick's ability to sense humidity to kill them. Ticks use a specialized organ to find refuge to survive dry conditions.
But if researchers find a way to disrupt the organ, the tick will die from dehydration.
“The idea is to outsmart them, not just eliminate them,” Onyeagba told the Guardian. “We’re targeting behavior, not biology. No toxicity. No resistance.”
Nearly a half-million people in the United States contract Lyme disease each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease is most prevalent in the Northeast but it has been reported in all 50 states.
Onyeagba was a co-author on a study published in BioRxix, a pre-print server that allows researchers to share results and solicit feedback before pursuing publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Featured image at top: UC biology students are studying ways to prevent tick-borne illness. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC
Related Stories
Taking a second look at surgery eligibility for patients with lung cancer who smoke
June 11, 2026
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine have found that patients who continue to smoke ahead of lung cancer surgery have a higher risk of pulmonary complications, but their short-term mortality rate is similar to patients who were able to stop smoking before surgery.. Their findings were published recently in the Journal of. American College of Surgeons
Pocket-sized population threat
June 10, 2026
The Financial Times took a deep dive into why populations around the world continue to be on the decline. The publication cited new University of Cincinnati research as part of the investigation that looks at the fall of fertility in the digital era.
Patients with developmental disabilities may benefit with an integrated care model
June 9, 2026
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University have found that adults with developmental disabilities who have integrated care were less likely to go to the emergency room or be hospitalized than others who were not. Their work was published in Disability and Health Journal.