Ticking Toward Discovery: Students Research Cattle Health at Cal Poly

Most people aren’t too thrilled to run into ticks while out for a walk, but students involved in Cal Poly’s Tick Research Lab see them as an opportunity for discovery.

In the past year, over 25 Cal Poly students have helped collect ticks to study how the bacterial disease anaplasmosis is spread to cows. The project, which is funded by the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI), involves testing cattle for the disease and collecting ticks from cow pastures around Cal Poly. 

To collect the ticks, student researchers drag white flannel behind them while they walk. About every 10 steps, they turn the flannel over and check for ticks, which are then placed in vials. Any squeamishness about the ticks usually subsides quickly, especially because prizes are awarded for collecting the most ticks over the course of a quarter.  

Once in the lab, students identify the ticks under the microscope, and then they are tested for the bacteria that causes the disease. By using data on infection from the ticks and cows, student researchers, along with principal investigator Dr. Laura Backus and collaborators Dr. Rachael Lyons and Zachary McFarlane, all faculty members in the Animal Science Department, hope to be able to give Central Coast producers better data on protecting the health of their cattle. 

Cal Poly is a perfect real-life laboratory for this research. The extensive and diverse grazing lands with a healthy population of ticks means there is endless availability of data and field opportunities. Students involved in the research gain skills in entomology, bench laboratory experience and applied animal health -- plus they get course credit and complete senior projects. It’s also a fantastic excuse to get outside and enjoy all that Cal Poly has to offer, even if it’s among the ticks!

Read more stories in the Fall 2025 Newsletter