Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Arachnophobes Look Away

 One of world's deadliest spiders is the funnel-web spider. its complex venom has a range of potential applications.

But funnel-web spider venom is not all made equal. In fact, the venom changes according to the spider's mood.

The Border Ranges funnel-web has different venom composition depending on its heart rate. I.e., the venom composition changes when it is under threat. This probably has something to do with the significant metabolic cost of venom production and "saving energy."

(Nobody has been killed by a funnel-web since 1981, by the way, which is when we developed a good antivenom for the group).

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