Biology subjects

Collier, B.

Publications and source records attributed to Collier, B..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Paralysis Efficiency (ED50) Scales Linearly with Lethality (LD50) in Spider Venoms

Historically, venom potencies have been assessed using measures of lethality, such as the median lethal dose (LD50). However, venoms may be selected primarily for their ability to rapidly incapacitate rather than cause mortality, meaning LD50 may not capture the efficacy of venoms in an ecological and evolutionary context. To capture this context, recent studies have adapted measures that assess venoms ability to rapidly incapacitate, such as the median effective dose (ED50). However, while ED50 values are expected to provide a more proximate assessment of ecological variation in venom potency, it is unknown whether historically available LD50 values are still useful proxies of ecologically relevant potency or whether they capture independent axes of venom variation. Here, we test the relationship between LD50 and ED50 in spider venoms by experimentally estimating LD50 and ED50 for 12 species and collating additional potency data for 40 species retrieved from the literature. We observed an isometric relationship between LD50 and ED50 in both analyses, showing these potency measures are both strongly coupled, with an increase in paralysis efficiency associated with a similar increase in lethality. Our results suggest that the functional aspects of venom potency, paralysis and lethality, are intrinsically linked, and due to this strong mechanistic coupling, historically available LD50 values may be used to compare general venom potencies in spiders, provided that they are based on the same prey model.

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2022

A Novel Restraint Device to Improve Safety and Efficacy of Blood Collection During Non-Terminal Sampling of Bats

There are a variety of blood collection techniques described in the literature for unanesthetized bats, which typically require multiple sharps (e.g., needles, lancets, etc.), competent animal handling for prolonged periods, and usually involve two individuals. With the challenges inherent to non-terminal sampling of blood from bats, as well as the growing need for the use of this technique across multiple disciplines and industries, an improved blood collection method is needed. We report the creation of a bat restraint device specifically designed for a single individual to safely collect blood from anesthetized or non-anesthetized bats. The utility of this restraint device is multifaceted, serving as a safety measure for both animal and handler, as well as increasing the efficiency of blood collection. The restraint device was tested during two laboratory bat studies, Afterwards, the users of the restraint device were provided with a 10-question survey questionnaire to record their opinions on its usage. In total 80% of responses were considered positive, 15% considered neutral, and 5% considered negative. Survey questions that all participants responded to positively when in comparison to the traditional method of blood collection from bats include "easier to perform", "safer to bats", and "safer to the individual". While using the restraint devices during the laboratory studies, no needle sticks, bites, or scratches to laboratorians occurred, and no observable health issues or complication due to blood collection in the bats bled using the restraint devices.

zoology↗