The Ouyang Lab

Gene regulation in the Lyme disease spirochete.

The Ouyang lab studies Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease — the leading vector-borne illness in the United States. We seek to elucidate host-pathogen-tick vector interactions and molecular mechanisms critical for the pathogen to infect hosts and cause diseases. Our ultimate goal is to understand how B. burgdorferi exploits complex genetic networks to decipher disparate tick and mammal signals and tailor its transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and surface architecture for host adaptation.