NordTick2024 Conference Recap

In April 2024, TBD Turku participated in the fourth NordTick conference held at Nyborg Strand, Denmark, with six attendees: Jukka Hytönen, Jessica Tikkala, Jani Sormunen, Theophilus Yaw Alale, Ilari Kuukkanen, and Varpu Rinne. Jukka Hytönen and Jani Sormunen also served on the organizing committee of the conference.

NordTick 2024 focused on the discussion of ongoing research concerning tick and tick-borne infections. The event provided a platform for researchers to exchange insights and address relevant issues in the field.

Our team contributed through oral presentations and poster sessions:

• Varpu Rinne presented on “Single-cell RNA sequencing based profiling of the extrafollicular response in the lymph nodes of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected mice.”
• Jani Sormunen shared insights from “Citizen Science Monitoring of Tick Contact Areas in Finland – Lessons, Results, and Uses for Data.”
• Theophilus Yaw Alale discussed “Genomic signatures of hybridization between Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus in Finland.”
• Ilari Kuukkanen presented findings from “Mass spectrometry based untargeted profiling of biomarkers of Lyme neuroborreliosis.”

Our participation in NordTick 2024 provided valuable opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange within the scientific community.