Welcome to the spiderverse, a world measured through webs
Counting the creatures in the world around us is critical for a raft of conservation efforts. It helps scientists gauge biodiversity, track migration, and spot invasive species. That census-taking, though, often requires humans to tabulate what they see, trap, or otherwise sense—a potentially laborious, costly process that can still leave gaps. But developments over the…
In the realm of conservation efforts, counting creatures within our environment is of utmost importance. This process aids scientists in understanding biodiversity, monitoring migration patterns, and identifying invasive species. Traditionally, such census-taking required humans to catalog what they observed, captured, or sensed—a labor-intensive, expensive endeavor that could still miss important details.
However, advancements over the past decade have transformed eco-surveillance. Biologists now utilize sequencing technology to analyze environmental DNA, or eDNA—genetic material left behind by living organisms. Samples collected from scat, soil, water, and air have provided an innovative method for monitoring endangered species and detecting invasive ones even before they are visible to the naked eye.
Recently, researchers have discovered a potential goldmine within eDNA sources: spiderwebs. These sticky substances not only trap arachnid creations and remnants of their meals but also capture bio-detritus such as saliva and pollen from nearby plants and animals. Any living entity seems to shed copious DNA everywhere, including into the air, and spiderwebs effortlessly capture it.
Joshua Newton, a molecular ecologist at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, recently compared the biological diversity in spiderwebs with that found in other sources, such as vegetation swabs, water, soil, and a fan equipped with a filter near a zoo and wildlife sanctuary outside Perth. While each source had its strengths, spiderwebs emerged as the most effective passive tool for identifying vertebrates, a finding that aligned with a similar study conducted in France.
However, a drawback of this method is that gathering meaningful data often necessitates destroying around 40 spiderwebs, which contradicts the objective of preserving organisms' homes. Fortunately, Angela McGaughran, a genomicist at New Zealand’s University of Waikato, found a solution. She purchased a bag of artificial webs from a local Halloween store, attached them using coat hangers, and hung them outside.
These synthetic webs successfully captured eDNA from nearby cows, sheep, and exotic birds at a nearby aviary. They also detected fungal spores more efficiently than real webs, proving advantageous for plant pathologists concerned about agricultural threats. McGaughran's team is now conducting larger experiments to determine whether artificial webs can provide a cheap and efficient method to replicate spiderwebs' DNA-snagging capabilities in various locations. Stephen Ornes, a science writer based in Nashville, has reported on these advancements.
Written by urgent.news from MIT Technology Review's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
