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Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which can cause neurological damage, arthritis, and heart disease if left untreated. By researching the infection process, a team from the University of Maryland discovered that an ancient signaling system serves an unanticipated function in connecting immunity to tick development in a recent paper published in Science. This study also suggests an entirely new target for the treatment of Lyme disease.