From Scorpion Venom to Infection Research: The Promise of Opis16a (Blog Entry)

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  Opistophthalmus carinatus , a southern African scorpion whose venom contains opistoporin 1, the parent peptide from which researchers derived the shorter antimicrobial peptide Opis16a. Credit: Dan Lee / CC0 1.0 From Scorpion Venom to Infection Research: The Promise of Opis16a A synthetic peptide inspired by a southern African scorpion’s venom shows activity against drug-resistant bacteria—but its potential as a wound treatment remains under investigation. Scorpion venom is a complex mixture of biologically active molecules. While many are studied for their effects on ion channels and the nervous system, others offer a different research opportunity: understanding how peptides can damage bacterial cells. One such candidate is Opis16a , a synthetic, 16-amino-acid fragment derived from opistoporin 1, a peptide originally isolated from the venom of Opistophthalmus carinatus . Research highlighted by Nature Africa suggests that this shortened molecule combines broad antibacterial acti...

A remarkable new species of Betaburmesebuthus Lourenço, 2015 from Burmite (Scorpiones: Palaeoburmesebuthidae)

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A remarkable new species of Betaburmesebuthus Lourenço, 2015 from Burmite (Scorpiones: Palaeoburmesebuthidae)

Abstract

The study of one new Palaeoburmesebuthidae scorpion from Cretaceous Burmite leads to the description of a new species belonging to the genus Betaburmesebuthus Lourenço, 2015. Although the number of species in this genus was greatly improved in recent years, the new species can be defined based on quite distinct characters. The discovery of this new element confirms, once again, the existence of an important diversity within the Burmite fauna.

Wilson R. Lourenço, Jürgen Velten. A remarkable new species of Betaburmesebuthus Lourenço, 2015 from Burmite (Scorpiones: Palaeoburmesebuthidae). Faunitaxys, 2023, 11 (78), pp.1-5. ⟨hal-04330833⟩