In collaboration with scientists from the UK, Europe, Japan, and the United States, researchers at the Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas have discovered a whole genome duplication during the evolution of spiders and scorpions. The study was published online on July 31, 2017 in BMC Biology. The open-access article is titled “The House Spider Genome Reveals an Ancient Whole-Genome Duplication During Arachnid Evolution.” Researchers have long been studying spiders and scorpions for both applied reasons, such as studying venom components for pharmaceuticals and silks for materials science, and for basic questions such as the reasons for the evolution and to understand the development and ecological success of this diverse group of carnivorous organisms. As part of a pilot project for the i5K, a project to study the genomes of 5,000 arthropod species, the Human Genome Sequencing Center analyzed the genome of the house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum - a model species studied in laboratories - and the Arizona bark scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus, - the most venomous scorpion in North America.Login Or Register To Read Full Story