Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography Coupled to High-Throughput Venomics for Snake Venom Characterisation with Parallel Bioactivity Assessment

Posted by
  Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography Coupled to High-Throughput Venomics for Snake Venom Characterisation with Parallel Bioactivity Assessment Abstract Between 80,000 and 140,000 fatalities occur yearly because of snakebite envenoming, which causes it to be classified as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), stressing the importance of snake venom toxin characterisation to aid the development of next-generation antivenoms. Snake venom is made up of a mixture of bioactive proteins that are also known as venom toxins. These venom toxins, being complex and structurally diverse, present a significant challenge for analytical separation and functional characterisation. Traditional methods, such as reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), often involve denaturing conditions that can alter the native state of these proteins, potentially reducing their bioactivity and limiting subsequent bioassays. Therefore, this study developed and optimised an analytical methodology using non-dena...

A Deep Divergence in the Cold: Yagania, a New Genus of Ghost Spider from Isla de Los Estados, Argentina (Araneae: Anyphaenidae)

Posted by

 

A Deep Divergence in the Cold: Yagania, a New Genus of Ghost Spider from Isla de Los Estados, Argentina (Araneae: Anyphaenidae)

Abstract

(1) Background: Ghost spiders of the family Anyphaenidae are well represented in Tierra del Fuego, although the evergreen forests of this region are notably understudied. (2) Methods: We based our work on a previous phylogenetic analysis of four markers, studied the morphology using microscopy, and characterized the habitat by vegetation and climate. (3) Results: An undescribed species from Isla de los Estados represents a deeply diverging lineage, which we describe here as Yagania chuanisin n. gen. and n. sp. (4) Conclusions: This species is likely associated with cold and rainy evergreen forests found only in specific areas of Tierra del Fuego Archipelago, where further sampling should be focused to better evaluate the species’ geographic range, as well as its conservation status.

Ramírez, M. J., Magalhaes, I. L., Lencinas, M. V., & Martínez Pastur, G. J. (2026). A Deep Divergence in the Cold: Yagania, a New Genus of Ghost Spider from Isla de Los Estados, Argentina (Araneae: Anyphaenidae). Diversity, 18(6), 346. https://doi.org/10.3390/d18060346