DOCSLIB.ORG

Greco Thesis.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Greco Thesis.Pdf 2 3 4 To all the teachers of my life 5 INDEX 1. Summary 2. List of publications 3. Introduction 3.1. The Bioinspired approach 3.1.1. To learn, not to copy 3.1.2. What can we learn from spiders? 3.1.3. Spider silks and their applications: the Bio-inspired approach 3.2. Spider Silks and Spider Webs: an overview 3.2.1. Spiders and Silks 3.2.2. The spider silk: major ampullate silk 3.2.3. The other spider silks 3.2.4. From spider silks to spider webs 3.3. Spider Silks and Humans 3.3.1. Spider silk in ancient Greece and Rome 3.3.2. Spider silk after the copyright 3.3.3. Spider silk in the modern world 3.4. The mechanical properties 3.4.1. The nanomechanics of spider silk 3.4.2. How to measure the mechanical properties of silk 3.4.3. Dragline 3.5. Spider silks applications 3.5.1. Biomedical technologies 3.5.2. The other applications 3.6. References 3.7. Content of the chapters 4. Characterization of different junctions in spider orb webs 4.1. Abstract 4.2. Introduction 4.3. Results 4.4. Discussion 4.5. Conclusion 4.6. Methods 4.6.1. Spiders care and web production 4.6.2. Sample preparation 4.6.3. Optical and SEM images 4.6.4. Mechanical characterization 4.7. References 6 5. Stronger and tougher silk for resilient attachment discs: the mechanical properties of the piriform silk 5.1. Abstract 5.2. Introduction 5.3. Analytical model 5.3.1. Evaluating the spacing among fibrils 5.3.2. Evaluation of the stress in the fibrils 5.3.3. Evaluation of the Young’s modulus of the fibrils 5.4. Materials and Methods 5.4.1. Spiders 5.4.2. SEM pictures 5.4.3. Measurement of attachment disc mass 5.4.4. Measurement of attachment disc length 5.4.5. Nanoindentation tests 5.4.6. Tensile tests 5.4.7. ANOVA analysis 5.4.8. Weibull statistics 5.5. Results 5.5.1. Nanoindentation tests 5.5.2. Tensile tests 5.6. Discussion 5.7. Conclusion 5.8. References 6. Spider (Linothele megatheloides) and silkworm (Bombyx mori) silks: Comparative physical and biological evaluation 6.1. Abstract 6.2. Introduction 6.3. Materials and Methods 6.3.1. Materials 6.3.2. Sample preparation 6.3.3. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) observations 6.3.4. Mechanical properties 6.3.5. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) 6.3.6. Fourier Transformation Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) 6.3.7. Amino acid composition 6.3.8. Cell culture 6.3.9. Cell morphology, distribution and immunofluorescence staining 6.3.10. Cell proliferation by DNA quantification (PicoGreen assay) 7 6.3.11. Cell metabolic activity (AlamarBlue assay) 6.3.12. Statistics 6.4. Results 6.4.1. Composition and structural characterization 6.4.2. Silk fibres morphology 6.4.3. Mechanical properties 6.4.4. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) 6.4.5. Cell proliferation and metabolic activity on different natural networks 6.4.6. Cell adhesion, morphology and distribution on different silk fibers 6.5. Discussion 6.6. Conclusion 6.7. References 7. Biomineralized spider silk for bone tissue engineering 7.1. Abstract 7.2. Introduction 7.3. Experimental 7.3.1. Materials 7.3.2. Silk sampling 7.3.3. Mineralization of Spider Silk 7.3.4. Morphological and Chemical Characterization of Mineralized Spider Silks 7.3.5. Mechanical tests 7.3.6. Statistical methods 7.4. Results and Discussion 7.4.1. Evaluation of the Effect of Reagent Concentration, HA Maturation Time, and Mineralization Process on Silk Coating 7.4.2. EDS, FTIR ATR, and XRD Analyses 7.4.3. Mechanical properties 7.5. Conclusion 7.6. References 8. Learning from silkworm silk: Easy, Scalable, Robust, Micropatterned Silk Fibroin Cell Substrates 8.1. Abstract 8.2. Introduction 8.3. Results and Discussion 8.3.1. Fabrication of Flexible, Micropatterned Fibroin Films 8.3.2. Proteolytic Degradation of Fibroin Substrates In Vitro 8 8.3.3. Evaluation of Cell Adhesion 8.4. Conclusion 8.5. Experimental Section 8.6. References 9. Artificial Spider Silk 9.1. How to spin artificial spider silk? 9.2. Mechanical properties 9.3. The problem of stability under different RH rates 9.4. Supercontraction 9.5. Supercontraction and the effect of humidity in artificial spider silk 9.6. How to improve the mechanical properties of the artificial spider silk? 9.7. References 10. Conclusions and Outlook 11. Personal Considerations 12. Acknowledgements 13. Appendix 9 1. SUMMARY Spider silks are biological materials that have inspired the humankind since its beginning. From raising the interest of ancient philosophers to the practical outcomes in the societies, spider silks have always been part of our culture and, thus, of our scientific development. They are protein-based materials with exceptional mechanical and biological properties that from liquid solutions passes to the solid fibres once extruded from the body of the spiders. Spider silks have deeply been investigated in these decades for their possible outcomes in biomedical technology as a supporting material for drugs delivery or tissues regeneration. Furthermore, spiders build webs with the support of different types of silks to create mechanically efficient structures, which are currently under investigation as models for metamaterials and fabrics with superior mechanical properties. This diversity in materials and structures makes spider silks scientific outcomes potentially infinite. In this work, we present some of the outputs of these three years of PhD. We explored the properties of the native material across different aspects (different species and glands) and trying to find possible derived applications (tissue engineering). Then we explored the mechanical behaviour of the natural structures (such as orb webs or attachment discs) coupled with their biological functions. In order to develop to an industrial level this material, we tried to understand and improve the physical properties of artificial spider silk, which helps also in understanding the ones of the native materials. 10 2. LIST OF PUBLICATIONS The following papers have been published in peer reviewed journals: 1. Gabriele Greco, Federico Bosia, Francesca Tramacere, Barbara Mazzolai, Nicola M. Pugno, The role of hairs in the adhesion of octopus suckers: a hierarchical peeling approach., 2020, Bioinspir. Biomim. 15 035006 2. Alessandra Dellaquila & Gabriele Greco, Elisabetta Campodoni, Mauro Mazzocchi, Barbara Mazzolai, Anna Tampieri, Nicola M. Pugno, Monica Sandri, Optimized production of a high‐ performance hybrid biomaterial: biomineralized spider silk for bone tissue engineering, J. APPL. POLYM. SCI. 2019, doi: 10.1002/APP.48739 3. Yuejiao Yang & Gabriele Greco, Devid Maniglio, Barbara Mazzolai, Claudio Migliaresi, Nicola Pugno, Antonella Motta, Spider (Linothele megatheloides) and silkworm (Bombyx mori) silks: Comparative physical and biological evaluation, Materials Science and Engineering: C, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.msec.2019.110197 4. Hamideh Mirbaha, Parviz Nourpanah, Paolo Scardi, Mirco D’incau, Gabriele Greco, Luca Valentini, Silvia Bittolo Bon, Shahram Arbab and Nicola Pugno, The Impact of Shear and Elongational Forces on Structural Formation of Polyacrylonitrile/Carbon Nanotubes Composite Fibers during Wet Spinning Process, Materials, 2019, 12, 2797; doi:10.3390/ma12172797 5. Gabriele Greco, Maria F. Pantano, Barbara Mazzolai & Nicola M. Pugno, Imaging and mechanical characterization of different junctions in spider orb webs, Scientific Reports, (2019) 9:5776, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42070-8 6. Roberto Guarino, Gabriele Greco, Barbara Mazzolai, Nicola M. Pugno; Fluid-structure interaction study of spider’s hair flow- sensing system, materialstoday: Proceedings, Volume 7, Part 1, 2019, Pages 418-42, DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2018.11.104 7. Meng Xu, Sayantan Pradhan, Francesca Agostinacchio, Ramendra K. Pal, Gabriele Greco, Barbara Mazzolai, Nicola M. Pugno, Antonella Motta, and Vamsi K. Yadavalli; Easy, Scalable, Robust, Micropatterned Silk Fibroin Cell Substrates, Adv. Mater. Interfaces 2019, 1801822, DOI: 10.1002/admi.201801822 11 8. Kundanati, Greco, Pugno, 2017; Ingegneria Bio-Ispirata a coleotteri e ragni (Bioinspired engineering from Beetles and Spiders), 2017, Entomata, 5, 10-13 The following papers have been submitted in peer reviewed journals and are now under the second cycle of revision: 1. Gabriele Greco, Jonas Wolff, Nicola M. Pugno, Stronger and tougher silk for resilient attachment discs: the mechanical properties of the Cupiennius salei (Keyserling, 1877) piriform silk. 2. Gabriele Greco, Nicola M. Pugno, The mechanical properties of unknown spider silk at different fibre lengths and related Weibull scaling laws on the fracture strength. 12 3. INTRODUCTION 3.1. The Bio-inspired approach Since the beginning of humankind, humanity has always been fascinated by Nature, especially for its smart solutions to overcome challenges. Some of these challenges share common traits with the challenges that humans undertake. This is precisely the reason why scientists (or better intellectuals) around the world and from every age started looking at Nature as a source of inspiration. 3.1.1 To learn, not to copy Nature spends almost 4.5 billion of years in trying to overcome particular challenges and prosper, by spreading the living organisms all around the globe. This process, which one can call evolution, has been longer with respect to the evolution of humanity. For this reason, Nature uses optimized technical solution that are more efficient than ours. All of these have marvellous and elegant structures that have always inspired the mind of scientists. Although the term “Biomimetic” has been recently coined[1], humankind has always taken inspiration from Nature to develop technologies, especially when the challenges were in common (for example flying). Often, the term “Biomimetic” is confused with men’s copying of Nature in its structures to create new technologies. Although this could be fascinating from certain points of view, it is very far from reality[2].
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Poecilia Wingei
    MASARYKOVA UNIVERZITA PŘÍRODOVĚDECKÁ FAKULTA ÚSTAV BOTANIKY A ZOOLOGIE AKADEMIE VĚD ČR ÚSTAV BIOLOGIE OBRATLOVCŮ, V.V.I. Personality, reprodukční strategie a pohlavní výběr u vybraných taxonů ryb Disertační práce Radomil Řežucha ŠKOLITEL: doc. RNDr. MARTIN REICHARD, Ph.D. BRNO 2014 Bibliografický záznam Autor: Mgr. Radomil Řežucha Přírodovědecká fakulta, Masarykova univerzita Ústav botaniky a zoologie Název práce: Personality, reprodukční strategie a pohlavní výběr u vybraných taxonů ryb Studijní program: Biologie Studijní obor: Zoologie Školitel: doc. RNDr. Martin Reichard, Ph.D. Akademie věd ČR Ústav biologie obratlovců, v.v.i. Akademický rok: 2013/2014 Počet stran: 139 Klíčová slova: Pohlavní výběr, alternativní rozmnožovací takti- ky, osobnostní znaky, sociální prostředí, zkuše- nost, Rhodeus amarus, Poecilia wingei Bibliographic Entry Author: Mgr. Radomil Řežucha Faculty of Science, Masaryk University Department of Botany and Zoology Title of Dissertation: Personalities, reproductive tactics and sexual selection in fishes Degree Programme: Biology Field of Study: Zoology Supervisor doc. RNDr. Martin Reichard, Ph.D. Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i. Academic Year: 2013/2014 Number of pages: 139 Keywords: Sexual selection, alternative mating tactics, per- sonality traits, social environment, experience, Rhodeus amarus, Poecilia wingei Abstrakt Vliv osobnostních znaků na alternativní reprodukční taktiky (charakteris- tické typy reprodukčního chování) patří mezi zanedbávané oblasti studia po- hlavního výběru. Současně bývá opomíjen i vliv sociálního prostředí a zkuše- nosti na tyto taktiky, a studium schopnosti jedinců v průběhu námluv mas- kovat své morfologické nedostatky. Jako studovaný systém alternativních rozmnožovacích taktik byl zvolen v přírodě nejběžnější komplex – sneaker × guarder (courter) komplex, popisující teritoriální a neteritoriální role samců.
    [Show full text]
  • Molecular Basis of the Remarkable Species Selectivity of an Insecticidal
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Molecular basis of the remarkable species selectivity of an insecticidal sodium channel toxin from the Received: 03 February 2016 Accepted: 20 June 2016 African spider Augacephalus Published: 07 July 2016 ezendami Volker Herzig1,*, Maria Ikonomopoulou1,*,†, Jennifer J. Smith1,*, Sławomir Dziemborowicz2, John Gilchrist3, Lucia Kuhn-Nentwig4, Fernanda Oliveira Rezende5, Luciano Andrade Moreira5, Graham M. Nicholson2, Frank Bosmans3 & Glenn F. King1 The inexorable decline in the armament of registered chemical insecticides has stimulated research into environmentally-friendly alternatives. Insecticidal spider-venom peptides are promising candidates for bioinsecticide development but it is challenging to find peptides that are specific for targeted pests. In the present study, we isolated an insecticidal peptide (Ae1a) from venom of the African spider Augacephalus ezendami (family Theraphosidae). Injection of Ae1a into sheep blowflies (Lucilia cuprina) induced rapid but reversible paralysis. In striking contrast, Ae1a was lethal to closely related fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) but induced no adverse effects in the recalcitrant lepidopteran pest Helicoverpa armigera. Electrophysiological experiments revealed that Ae1a potently inhibits the voltage-gated sodium channel BgNaV1 from the German cockroach Blattella germanica by shifting the threshold for channel activation to more depolarized potentials. In contrast, Ae1a failed to significantly affect sodium currents in dorsal unpaired median neurons from the American cockroachPeriplaneta americana. We show that Ae1a interacts with the domain II voltage sensor and that sensitivity to the toxin is conferred by natural sequence variations in the S1–S2 loop of domain II. The phyletic specificity of Ae1a provides crucial information for development of sodium channel insecticides that target key insect pests without harming beneficial species.
    [Show full text]
  • Discrete Dragline Attachment Induces Aggregation in Spiderlings of a Solitary Species
    ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 2004, 67, 531e537 doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.06.013 Discrete dragline attachment induces aggregation in spiderlings of a solitary species RAPHAEL JEANSON*, JEAN-LOUIS DENEUBOURG† &GUYTHERAULAZ* *Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, CNRS, Universite´ Paul Sabatier yCenter for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, Universite´ Libre de Bruxelles (Received 17 June 2002; initial acceptance 30 July 2002; final acceptance 20 June 2003; MS. number: 7375R) In the early stages of their life, solitary spiders undergo a transient gregarious phase. We designed a series of experiments in which collective displacements were induced in groups of spiderlings of the solitary species Larinioides cornutus (Araneae: Araneidae). Spiderlings were given access to a bifurcated escape route (Y-choice set-up) from a container. Consecutive passages in the set-up led to an asymmetrical distribution of individuals between branches. Individual behaviours of spiderlings were quantified and then implemented into a model with which we simulated collective displacements. Comparison between the outcome of the model and the experimental data shows that the discrete pattern of silk dragline attachment is the key mechanism involved in this collective phenomenon. Our results show that the collective responses in spiderlings of a solitary species and in social spiders are similar, and that a simple mechanism independent of the presence of silk attraction can lead to aggregation. Ó 2004 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Coordinated displacements are among the most com- coordination (Deneubourg & Goss 1989; Bonabeau et al. mon collective behaviours in group-living animals (Dingle 1997; Camazine et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Biogeografía Histórica Y Diversidad De Arañas Mygalomorphae De Argentina, Uruguay Y Brasil: Énfasis En El Arco Peripampásico
    UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE LA PLATA FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS NATURALES Y MUSEO Biogeografía histórica y diversidad de arañas Mygalomorphae de Argentina, Uruguay y Brasil: énfasis en el arco peripampásico Trabajo de tesis doctoral TOMO II Lic. Nelson E. Ferretti Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores CEPAVE (CCT- CONICET- La Plata) (UNLP) Directora: Dra. Alda González Codirector: Dr. Fernando Pérez-Miles Argentina Año 2012 ÍNDICE DE CONTENIDOS TOMO II Referencias bibliográficas. 244 ANEXOS. 299 Anexo I. Distribución de las especies analizadas. 300 Anexo II. Mapas con la distribución geográfica de las especies de Mygalomorphae utilizadas en los análisis y sus respectivos trazos individuales. 324 Anexo III. Tablas. 359 Publicaciones generadas a partir de la presente tesis. 393 Referencias bibliográficas Aagesen, L., Szumik, C.A., Zuloaga, F.O. & Morrone, O. 2009. Quantitative biogeography in the South America highlands–recognizing the Altoandina, Puna and Prepuna through the study of Poaceae. Cladistics, 25: 295–310. Abrahamovich, A.H., Díaz, N.B. & Morrone, J.J. 2004. Distributional patterns of the Neotropical and Andean species of the genus Bombus (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Acta Zoológica Mexicana (nueva serie), 20(1): 99–117. Acosta, L. E. 1989. La fauna de escorpiones y opiliones (Arachnida) de la provincia de Córdoba. Tesis doctoral, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Acosta, L. E. 1993. Escorpiones y opiliones de la provincia de Córdoba (Argentina): Diversidad y zoogeografía. Bulletin de la Société Neuchâteloise des Sciences Naturelles, 116(1): 11–17. Acosta, L.E. 2002. Patrones zoogeográficos de los opiliones argentinos (Arachnida: Opiliones). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, 6: 69–84.
    [Show full text]
  • Biogeografía Histórica Y Diversidad De Arañas Mygalomorphae De Argentina, Uruguay Y Brasil: Énfasis En El Arco Peripampásico
    i UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE LA PLATA FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS NATURALES Y MUSEO Biogeografía histórica y diversidad de arañas Mygalomorphae de Argentina, Uruguay y Brasil: énfasis en el arco peripampásico Trabajo de tesis doctoral TOMO I Lic. Nelson E. Ferretti Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores CEPAVE (CCT- CONICET- La Plata) (UNLP) Directora: Dra. Alda González Codirector: Dr. Fernando Pérez-Miles Argentina Año 2012 “La tierra y la vida evolucionan juntas”… León Croizat (Botánico y Biogeógrafo italiano) “Hora tras hora… otra de forma de vida desaparecerá para siempre de la faz del planeta… y la tasa se está acelerando” Dave Mustaine (Músico Estadounidense) A la memoria de mi padre, Edgardo Ferretti ÍNDICE DE CONTENIDOS TOMO I Agradecimientos v Resumen vii Abstract xi Capítulo I: Introducción general. I. Biogeografía. 2 II. Biogeografía histórica. 5 III. Áreas de endemismo. 11 IV. Marco geológico. 14 IV.1- Evolución geológica de América del Sur. 15 IV.2- Arco peripampásico. 23 V. Arañas Mygalomorphae. 30 VI. Objetivos generales. 34 Capítulo II: Diversidad, abundancia, distribución espacial y fenología de la comunidad de Mygalomorphae de Isla Martín García, Ventania y Tandilia. I. INTRODUCCIÓN. 36 I.1- Isla Martín García. 36 I.2- El sistema serrano de Ventania. 37 I.3- El sistema serrano de Tandilia. 38 I.4- Las comunidades de arañas en áreas naturales. 39 I.5- ¿Porqué estudiar las comunidades de arañas migalomorfas? 40 II. OBJETIVOS. 42 II.1- Objetivos específicos. 42 III. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS. 43 III.1- Áreas de estudio. 43 III.1.1- Isla Martín García. 43 III.1.2- Sistema de Ventania.
    [Show full text]
  • TARANTULA Araneae Family: Theraphosidae Genus: 113 Genera
    TARANTULA Araneae Family: Theraphosidae Genus: 113 genera Range: World wide Habitat tropical and desert regions; greatest concentration S America Niche: Terrestrial or arboreal, carnivorous, mainly nocturnal predators Wild diet: as grasshoppers, crickets and beetles but some of the larger species may also eat mice, lizards and frogs or even small birds Zoo diet: Life Span: (Wild) varies with species and sexes, females tend to live long lives (Captivity) Sexual dimorphism: Location in SF Zoo: Children’s Zoo - Insect Zoo APPEARANCE & PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS: Tarantulas are large, long-legged, long-living spiders, whose entire body is covered with short hairs, which are sensitive to vibration. They have eight simple eyes arranged in two distinct rows but rely on their hairs to send messages of local movement. These spiders do not spin a web but catch their prey by pursuit, killing them by injecting venom through their fangs. The injected venom liquefies their prey, allowing them to suck out the innards and leave the empty exoskeleton. The chelicerae are vertical and point downward making it necessary to raise its front end to strike forward and down onto its prey. Tarantulas have two pair of book lungs, which are situated on the underside of the abdomen. (Most spiders have only one pair). All tarantulas produce silk through the two or four spinnerets at the end of their abdomen (A typical spiders averages six). New World Tarantulas vs. Old World Tarantulas: New World species have urticating hairs that causes the potential predator to itch and be distracted so the tarantula can get away. They are less aggressive than Old World Tarantulas who lack urticating hairs and their venom is less potent.
    [Show full text]
  • Reproductive Biology of Uruguayan Theraphosids (Araneae, Mygalomorphae)
    2002. The Journal of Arachnology 30:571±587 REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF URUGUAYAN THERAPHOSIDS (ARANEAE, MYGALOMORPHAE) Fernando G. Costa: Laboratorio de EtologõÂa, EcologõÂa y EvolucioÂn, IIBCE, Av. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay. E-mail: [email protected] Fernando PeÂrez-Miles: SeccioÂn EntomologõÂa, Facultad de Ciencias, Igua 4225, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay ABSTRACT. We describe the reproductive biology of seven theraphosid species from Uruguay. Species under study include the Ischnocolinae Oligoxystre argentinense and the Theraphosinae Acanthoscurria suina, Eupalaestrus weijenberghi, Grammostola iheringi, G. mollicoma, Homoeomma uruguayense and Plesiopelma longisternale. Sexual activity periods were estimated from the occurrence of walking adult males. Sperm induction was described from laboratory studies. Courtship and mating were also described from both ®eld and laboratory observations. Oviposition and egg sac care were studied in the ®eld and laboratory. Two complete cycles including female molting and copulation, egg sac construction and emer- gence of juveniles were reported for the ®rst time in E. weijenberghi and O. argentinense. The life span of adults was studied and the whole life span was estimated up to 30 years in female G. mollicoma, which seems to be a record for spiders. A comprehensive review of literature on theraphosid reproductive biology was undertaken. In the discussion, we consider the lengthy and costly sperm induction, the widespread display by body vibrations of courting males, multiple mating strategies of both sexes and the absence of sexual cannibalism. Keywords: Uruguayan tarantulas, sexual behavior, sperm induction, life span Theraphosids are the largest and longest- PeÂrez-Miles et al. (1993), PeÂrez-Miles et al. lived spiders of the world. Despite this, and (1999) and Costa et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Araneae: Mygal
    This article was downloaded by: [Pontificia Universidad Javeria] On: 13 May 2014, At: 05:55 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/nnfe20 Historical relationships among Argentinean biogeographic provinces based on mygalomorph spider distribution data (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) Nelson Ferrettia, Fernando Pérez-Milesb & Alda Gonzáleza a Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores CEPAVE (CCT–CONICET– La Plata), (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina b Facultad de Ciencias, Sección Entomología, Montevideo, Uruguay Published online: 13 May 2014. To cite this article: Nelson Ferretti, Fernando Pérez-Miles & Alda González (2014): Historical relationships among Argentinean biogeographic provinces based on mygalomorph spider distribution data (Araneae: Mygalomorphae), Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01650521.2014.903616 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views
    [Show full text]
  • Araneae (Spider) Photos
    Araneae (Spider) Photos Araneae (Spiders) About Information on: Spider Photos of Links to WWW Spiders Spiders of North America Relationships Spider Groups Spider Resources -- An Identification Manual About Spiders As in the other arachnid orders, appendage specialization is very important in the evolution of spiders. In spiders the five pairs of appendages of the prosoma (one of the two main body sections) that follow the chelicerae are the pedipalps followed by four pairs of walking legs. The pedipalps are modified to serve as mating organs by mature male spiders. These modifications are often very complicated and differences in their structure are important characteristics used by araneologists in the classification of spiders. Pedipalps in female spiders are structurally much simpler and are used for sensing, manipulating food and sometimes in locomotion. It is relatively easy to tell mature or nearly mature males from female spiders (at least in most groups) by looking at the pedipalps -- in females they look like functional but small legs while in males the ends tend to be enlarged, often greatly so. In young spiders these differences are not evident. There are also appendages on the opisthosoma (the rear body section, the one with no walking legs) the best known being the spinnerets. In the first spiders there were four pairs of spinnerets. Living spiders may have four e.g., (liphistiomorph spiders) or three pairs (e.g., mygalomorph and ecribellate araneomorphs) or three paris of spinnerets and a silk spinning plate called a cribellum (the earliest and many extant araneomorph spiders). Spinnerets' history as appendages is suggested in part by their being projections away from the opisthosoma and the fact that they may retain muscles for movement Much of the success of spiders traces directly to their extensive use of silk and poison.
    [Show full text]
  • Versatile Spider Venom Peptides and Their Medical and Agricultural Applications
    Accepted Manuscript Versatile spider venom peptides and their medical and agricultural applications Natalie J. Saez, Volker Herzig PII: S0041-0101(18)31019-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.11.298 Reference: TOXCON 6024 To appear in: Toxicon Received Date: 2 May 2018 Revised Date: 12 November 2018 Accepted Date: 14 November 2018 Please cite this article as: Saez, N.J., Herzig, V., Versatile spider venom peptides and their medical and agricultural applications, Toxicon (2019), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.11.298. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT MANUSCRIPT ACCEPTED ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 1 Versatile spider venom peptides and their medical and agricultural applications 2 3 Natalie J. Saez 1, #, *, Volker Herzig 1, #, * 4 5 1 Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia 6 7 # joint first author 8 9 *Address correspondence to: 10 Dr Natalie Saez, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 11 4072, Australia; Phone: +61 7 3346 2011, Fax: +61 7 3346 2101, Email: [email protected] 12 Dr Volker Herzig, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St.
    [Show full text]
  • March 20, 2020- Canceled Due to COVID-19 Graduate Research Conference 2020 - Canceled COVID-19 Table of Contents
    March 20, 2020- Canceled due to COVID-19 Graduate Research Conference 2020 - Canceled COVID-19 Table of Contents Welcome Letter 2 Schedule of Events 3 Abstracts: Alphabetically by Presenter Last Name 4 Thank You 49 Graduate Research Conference 2020 - Canceled COVID-19 1 Welcome to the 2020 Graduate Research Conference! On behalf of the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, I welcome you to the 2020 Graduate Research Conference. The GRC is an event that combines the primary missions of the Office of Graduate Studies and Research: The Office of Research Development and Administration and the Office of Research Compliance support and promote all research activities at EMU, including the GRC. Meanwhile, the Graduate School supports academic programs that emphasize the highest forms of intellectual development in each discipline, which includes the creation of the new knowledge that you see at the GRC. This year’s GRC is EMU’s 21st annual celebration and showcase of graduate student scholarly and creative activities. Over 200 students will deliver formal accounts of their work by way of ​ ​ 162 oral presentations, posters presentations, and artistic displays and performances. The activities they describe took significant investments of time and were performed over countless hours outside the traditional classroom. These students and their work are sponsored by over 100 faculty who wisely guided the students’ activities and, in many cases, gave students access to their laboratories, studios, and specialized equipment. This year Shawn T. Mason will be our luncheon keynote speaker. Dr. Mason was a previous presenter at the Graduate Research Conference and earned a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from EMU.
    [Show full text]
  • Bioinsecticides for the Control of Human Disease Vectors Niraj S Bende B
    Bioinsecticides for the control of human disease vectors Niraj S Bende B. Pharm, MRes. Bioinformatics A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2014 Institute for Molecular Bioscience Abstract Many human diseases such as malaria, Chagas disease, chikunguniya and dengue fever are transmitted via insect vectors. Control of human disease vectors is a major worldwide health issue. After decades of persistent use of a limited number of chemical insecticides, vector species have developed resistance to virtually all classes of insecticides. Moreover, considering the hazardous effects of some chemical insecticides to environment and the scarce introduction of new insecticides over the last 20 years, there is an urgent need for the discovery of safe, potent, and eco-friendly bioinsecticides. To this end, the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae is a promising candidate. For this approach to become viable, however, limitations such as slow onset of death and high cost of currently required spore doses must be addressed. Genetic engineering of Metarhizium to express insecticidal toxins has been shown to increase the potency and decrease the required spore dose. Thus, the primary aim of my thesis was to engineer transgenes encoding highly potent insecticidal spider toxins into Metarhizium in order to enhance its efficacy in controlling vectors of human disease, specifically mosquitoes and triatomine bugs. As a prelude to the genetic engineering studies, I surveyed 14 insecticidal spider venom peptides (ISVPs) in order to compare their potency against key disease vectors (mosquitoes and triatomine bugs) In this thesis, we present the structural and functional analysis of key ISVPs and describe the engineering of Metarhizium strains to express most potent ISVPs.
    [Show full text]