Spider Venom Could Yield Eco-Friendly Insecticides
Biochemist Glenn King is searching for an alternative to chemical pesticides. King's research on insect-specific neurotoxins focuses on one the world's most efficient insect predators -- spiders. The Blue Mountains funnel-web spider (Hadronyche versuta) -- a large Australian spider with a bite that is deadly to humans and insects -- is an ideal source of venom for King's research. The spider "coo...Spiders help scientists discover how muscles relax
Using muscle tissue from tarantulas, an HHMI international research scholar and his colleagues have figured out the detailed structure and arrangement of the miniature molecular motors that control movement. Their work, which takes advantage of a new technique for visualizing tissues in their natural state, provides new insights into the molecular basis of muscle relaxation, and perhaps its activ...Spider blood found in 20 million year old fossil
A scientist from the University of Manchester has discovered the first identified droplets of spider blood in a piece of amber up to 20 million years old. The droplets are the first ident...Biologists Crack Genetic Code for Specialized Spider Silk
Defects in a single gene can result in two immune system disorders that leave affected individuals vulnerable to frequent or unusually severe infections, according to new findings reported in the August issue of Nature Genetics. The discovery may lead to new diagnostic tests for these two inherited conditions ?immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency and common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). Currentl...Evolution mystery: Spider venom and bacteria share same toxin
It's a case of evolutionary detective work. Biology researchers at Lewis & Clark College and the University of Arizona have found evidence for an ancient transfer of a toxin between ancestors of two very dissimilar organisms--spiders and a bacterium. But the mystery remains as how the toxin passed between the two organisms. Their research is published this month in the journal Bioinformatics,...Brazil Spider Offers Hope for Those Suffering from Erectile Dysfunction
In Brazil, emergency room staff can immediately spot the victims of a bite from the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer). Patients not only experience// overall pain and an increase in blood pressure, they also sport an uncomfortable erection. And therein perhaps lies the key to the quest for more Viagras. Scientists say they have figured out the chemical that seems to be respons...Louisiana Residents Warned Against Brown Recluse Spiders
A poisonous brown widow spider, a cousin to the well-known black widow, is increasingly being spotted in Louisiana, experts say . It is belongs to a group that is officially known as the "recluse spiders" and are also commonly referred to as "fiddleback" spiders or "violin" spiders because of the violin-shaped marking on the top surface of the cephalothorax (fused head and thorax). <b...Spacesuits of the Future Will Be as Flexible as Spidermans
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are working towards constructing a space suit that promises to be more flexible allowing astronauts superior mobility when they reach Mars or return to the Moon. Since Yuri Gagarins time spacesuits have seen scant improvement. They continue to remain the bulky, gas-pressurized outfits of yore, which provide astron...The Spider Limited Wrist Fusion System
Description:The Spider Limited Wrist Fusion System consists of two plates, an 8-hole Spider plate and a 6-hole Mini-Spider plate. Both plates have a unique three-dimensional design optimized for four-corner and other limited wrist arthrodeses, and both plates use 2.4 mm diameter stainless steel screws....SpideRX® Embolic Protection Device
Description:The SpideRX Embolic Protection Device features the ability to use a separate, preferred guidewire to cross the lesion and a pre-loaded nitinol filter with a dual-ended catheter for delivery and recovery. Offering a fully rapid exchange system, the SpideRX Device is easy to use in the indicated applications: Carotid Indication - The SpideRX Embolic Protection Device is indicated for use...