Venomics of the Central European Myrmicine Ants and .

Animal venoms are a rich source of novel biomolecules with potential applications in medicine and agriculture. Ants are one of the most species-rich lineages of venomous animals. However, only a fraction of their biodiversity has been studied so far.

A New Citrinin Derivative from the Indonesian Marine Sponge-Associated Fungus .

Sponge-associated fungi are attractive targets for the isolation of bioactive natural products with different pharmaceutical purposes. In this investigation, 20 fungi were isolated from 10 different sponge specimens. One isolate, the fungus strain WK-P9, showed activity against JH642 when cultivated in malt extract medium.

Identification and Functional Characterization of a Novel Insecticidal Decapeptide from the Myrmicine Ant .

Ant venoms contain many small, linear peptides, an untapped source of bioactive peptide toxins. The control of agricultural insect pests currently depends primarily on chemical insecticides, but their intensive use damages the environment and human health, and encourages the emergence of resistant pest populations. This has promoted interest in animal venoms as a source of alternative, environmentally-friendly bio-insecticides.

Proteomic Analysis of the Venom from the Ruby Ant and the Isolation of a Novel Insecticidal Decapeptide.

Ants are a biodiverse group of insects that have evolved toxic venom containing many undiscovered bioactive molecules. In this study, we found that the venom of the ruby ant is a rich source of peptides. LC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 142 different peptides varying in molecular weight, sequence length, and hydrophobicity.