Science at theUM [S05-ep15]: A Tactic for Studying Ticks
This week on *A l’UM : Science*, Olivier Duron from the Mivegec explains how sequencing can be used to diagnose tick-borne diseases. In the second half of the program, we return to the food technology platform at the Qualisud with Romain Domingo. A program broadcast every Wednesday on the radio station Divergence.
Humans, non-human animals, plants, ecosystems. One planet. One health. That’s how to summarize in a few words the integrated One Health approach, which was at the heart of a major summit held in Lyon on April 7, 2026. As a flagship event of France’s G7 presidency, it brought together heads of state and government, international organizations, scientists, local authorities, and civil society representatives to strengthen the capacity of our health systems to address health and environmental crises.
In 2020, it was indeed one of these crises—the COVID-19 pandemic—that brutally reminded us all just how interdependent the health of ecosystems, animals, and humans is. Whether it’s the destruction of wild habitats—which forces humans and non-human animals to come into closer contact—or global warming, which fuels the proliferation of insect vectors we’d rather not cross paths with.
Among these charming little creatures, there is one that holds no appeal for us—perhaps because it literally feeds on us… the tick. While this arthropod isn’t exactly an attractive sight to begin with—with its burrowing head, eight legs, and blood-engorged body—the bacteria and parasites it carries can sometimes send a shiver down our spines. And that is why this creature is under increased surveillance, particularly in our region, where new species are beginning to appear, such as Hyalomma marginatum, nicknamed the giant tick.
Olivier Duron, a researcher at the Infectious Diseases and Vectors, Ecology, Genetics, Evolution, and Control (Mivegec) laboratory, takes a close interest in ticks and their hosts and explains how he studies them using high-throughput sequencing. He is a co-author of a study published in the journal *One Health* titled “A Narrative Review Presenting the Main Applications of High-Throughput Sequencing in Vector Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Microbiological Diagnosis of Tick-Borne Diseases, within the Framework of a ‘One Health’ Approach.”
In the second half of the program, we return to CIRAD for a second report on the food technology platform at the Qualisud laboratory. We follow Romain Domingo, head of the food physics, rheology, and texture laboratory, who explains all the tests he conducts on bread—from flour particle size and dough viscosity to the texture of your slices of toast.
At "UM : Science," here's the lineup—let's get started!
Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Lucie Lecherbonnier / Aline Périault
Reporting: Aline Périault
Director: Alice Rollet
Listen to the show “A l’UM la science” on Divergence FM 93.9
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