Venom-based biodiscovery
Venoms are complex cocktails composed mainly of ten to hundreds of proteins and peptides, known collectively as toxins, that each target a specific receptor or physiological pathway with great potency and selectivity.
This project focuses on identifying novel peptides from animal venoms using proteomics and transcriptomics. The student/s will be involved in expressing and characterizing these toxins, which hold potential for being drug leads, innovative molecular tools, and eco-friendly biopesticides. The possible discovery of bioactive molecules with potential for development into high-value products represents an excellent example of the economic value of biodiversity in a knowledge-based economy.
Methods:
Proteomics, recombinant expression of toxins, functional assays
Figure 1 from Von Reumont et al. Modern venomics—Current insights, novel methods, and future perspectives in biological and applied animal venom research, GigaScience, Volume 11, 2022, giac048, https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giac048
Group and project
Our research group consists of nine members, each specializing in the evolution of venomous species, encompassing both invertebrates and vertebrates. Each member brings their unique expertise and professional networks to the table, offering the student an exceptional opportunity for knowledge acquisition and growth. We foster a collaborative environment through various activities, including a bi-weekly journal club where we engage in discussions of research questions related to venom and evolution in general. Additionally, we hold weekly lab meetings, providing a platform for both presenting and discussing the diverse projects that our group is actively involved in. Beyond our scientific pursuits, we also organize social events that contribute to build up our teamworking environment. The work carried out by the student will be part of a larger project funded by the Norwegian and European Research Councils, which aims to elucidate the venom system of Neuroptera by combining omics techniques, and comparative molecular and morphological evolution with evolutionary quantitative genetics. This multidisciplinary approach will elucidate the genetic and evolutionary mechanisms that underlie the emergence of venoms as complex evolutionary novelties and identify the molecular properties that facilitate or constrain their evolution across micro- and macroevolutionary timescales.
Please contact Eivind Andreas Baste Undheim or Marius Filomeno Maurstad for a meeting to learn more about the project.