**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE ASIAN LONGHORNED TICK, HAEMAPHYSALIS LONGICORNIS, IS A TICK NATIVE TO EAST ASIA THAT WAS DISCOVERED IN NEW JERSEY, USA, IN 2017. SINCE THAT TIME, IT HAS BEEN DISCOVERED IN AT LEAST 97 COUNTIES FROM 12 DIFFERENT STATES AND APPEARS TO BE BROADLY INVADING THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. THIS TICK IS A FREQUENT PARASITE OF LIVESTOCK INCLUDING CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, AND FARMED DEER; IT IS A SEVERE THREAT TO THE PRODUCTION OF THESE ANIMALS FOR TWO REASONS: 1. THE ABILITY TO REPRODUCE ASEXUALLY (WITHOUT REQUIRING A MATE) WHICH ALLOWS IT TO RAPIDLY CREATE LARGE INFESTATIONS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO EXSANGUINATE ANIMALS (OR DRAIN THEM OF BLOOD TO A DEGREE THAT RESULTS IN ANEMIA AND/OR DEATH) AND 2. TRANSMISSION OF LIVESTOCK DISEASES THAT COST OVERSEAS LIVESTOCK INDUSTRIES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN LOSSES EACH YEAR.TICK CONTROL TRADITIONALLY INVOLVES TREATMENT OF ANIMALS AND PASTURES WITH CHEMICAL PESTICIDES, WHICH CARRIES A WIDE RANGE OF POTENTIALLY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESISTANCE AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR RESIDUAL CONTAMINATION OF MILK AND/OR MEAT. THIS HAS PROMPTED RESEARCH INTO ALTERNATIVE CONTROL METHODS, INCLUDING ANTI-TICK VACCINES. THIS STRATEGY RELIES ON IMMUNIZING HOSTS SUCH AS CATTLE WITH COMPOUNDS THAT STIMULATE THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS TO PRODUCE ANTIBODIES THAT, AS OPPOSED TO ATTACKING VIRUSES FOR EXAMPLE, WILL HARM (AND IDEALLY KILL) THE TICK THAT FEEDS ON THEM. THIS PROPOSAL AIMS TO GENERATE AND UTILIZE GENOME SEQUENCE DATA FROM THE ASIAN LONGHORNED TICK TO DESIGN AND TRIAL SEVERAL ANTI-TICK VACCINES, WITH THE GOAL BEING TO PUT FORTH A CANDIDATE FOR LARGE-SCALE TRIALS THAT WILL PROTECT BOTH AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL LIVESTOCK WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY DECREASING RELIANCE ON CHEMICAL PESTICIDES AND IMPROVING HERD HEALTH.