Patrick Kelly

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Abstract Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is a unique DNA polymerase capable of template-independent extension of DNA with random nucleotides. TdT's de novo DNA synthesis ability has found utility in DNA recording, DNA data storage, oligonucleotide synthesis, and nucleic acid labeling, but TdT's intrinsic nucleotide biases limit its versatility in such applications.

1. Introduction Ticks are obligate blood-feeding parasites belonging to the phylum Arthropoda, the class Arachnida, and the order Acari [1]. They are divided into two main families: Ixodidae (hard ticks), comprising over 700 species worldwide, and Argasidae (soft ticks), comprising roughly 200 species [2]. Currently, in Africa, domestic animals can be infested with up to ten genera of ticks seven Ixodidae and three Argasidae [1].