Modern molecular biology offers powerful new tools for monitoring biodiversity through environmental DNA/RNA (eDNA/eRNA). By combining nucleic acid amplification with high-throughput sequencing, eDNA/eRNA enables the detection and characterization of organisms directly from environmental samples, without the need for cultivation or visual identification. This approach overcomes key limitations of traditional monitoring, such as invasiveness and low taxonomic resolution, and has become increasingly important for studying complex biological communities, including viruses.

Spider webs represent a unique and largely unexplored source of eDNA/eRNA. Acting as natural passive air filters, they continuously collect biological material from their surroundings, including insect remains, pollen, fungal spores, bacteria, and airborne particles. As spiders are key predators in many ecosystems, their webs also contain traces of their prey, providing indirect access to a wide range of organisms. Through these interactions, spider webs may capture an extensive diversity of viruses associated with arthropods, plants, and other environmental sources.

Recent advances in metagenomics have revealed that invertebrates host a remarkable diversity of viruses, many of which remain uncharacterized. Despite the existence of over 53,000 described spider species, only a small fraction has been investigated for viral presence, indicating a vast, untapped reservoir of viral diversity. High-throughput sequencing now enables comprehensive, unbiased analysis of viral communities, including the discovery of novel viruses and insights into their ecological roles.

This project aims to explore the viral diversity associated with spider webs and to evaluate their potential as non-invasive tools for environmental virus monitoring. By combining knowledge of spider ecology with advanced sequencing technologies, the project will improve our understanding of viral diversity and its links to spiders, their prey, and the environment. It will also support the development of new approaches for environmental monitoring of viruses based on eDNA/eRNA, including their potential use for early detection of viral pathogens.

ARIS project ID: Z1-70011

Duration: 1.3.2026 – 30.6.2028