Method Repertoire
The study of natural products from animal systems requires a highly interdisciplinary methodological framework. The Lüddecke group has established a comprehensive platform for the molecular characterization and functional analysis of bioactive compounds. This approach is centered on functional venomics, integrating high-throughput omics technologies with recombinant production systems and targeted bioassays. It enables the systematic identification of molecular entities, the elucidation of their biological roles and mechanisms of action, and the evaluation of their pharmacological potential. These methods provide a direct link between molecular structure, biological activity, and potential applications in medicine and biotechnology.
Fieldwork
Collecting and archiving biological samples for research purposes is a major mission of Dr. Lüddecke and his team. Therefore, the members of the team routinely carry out fieldwork around the globe or utilize zoological collections to gain access to rare, and hitherto unstudied venoms. So far, Dr. Lüddecke has carried out fieldwork in >20 countries and four continents and has specilized in venom collection from difficult to sample species. Places visited include the Negev desert (Israel), the Amazonian rainforests (Brazil), the Andes (Ecuador) and the Outback (Australia).
Venomics
Dr. Lüddeckes key expertise is the rigorous application of modern venomics technologies to unveil entire venom compositions and to identify particularly interesting molecules. The lab routinely carries out transcriptomic analyses of venom gland samples and has developed a series of in-house scripts for that purpose that merge multiple assembly approaches. It is further well-positioned to perform proteomics (bottom-up, top-down, and mass fingerprinting) as well as traditional protein profiling (SDS-PAGE, RP-HPLC) of venom. Dr. Lüddecke is further increasing his efforts to utilise genomic data as well. He has applied these skills to examine the venom profiles from animals across the entire venomous tree of life, especially in arachnids and reptiles.
Imaging and Morphology
Venom delivery is an important element to understand the ecological framework in which venom is applied, the constraints under which it functions and how venom expenditure is modulated. Hence, the Lüddecke lab implemented a range of morphological methods, ranging from simple light microscopy, to histology and CT scanning, as well as mass spectrometry imaging into its repertoire. Thanks to that, the team is able to investigate venom system architecture and to tremendously increase the understanding of venom system functionality.
Synthetic Biology
In order to functionally characterise venom components to understand their biological role and/or their translational potential, it is mandatory to gain access to the single components. However, for most of the venomous biodiversity, it is challenging or even impossible to sample sufficient venom yields to purify the toxins in the needed amounts, effectively preventing their functional assessment. The lab has specialised to develop biotechnological methods (heterologous expression in prokaryotes and cell-free systems) to produce selected venom components in high yields. This allows them to harness the entire polypeptide repertoire of studied taxa for functional and translational studies.
Functional Profiling
A primary question of the Lüddecke lab revolves around the functional and translational significance of venom toxins. To investigate this, they have established a wide range of in vitro and in vivo systems targeting major activities relevant to the model systems. For instance, a wide variety of mammalian (primary, secondary, and cancer) or insect cells, plus assays to explore cell-cell communication are available. Further, they employ anti-infective screens against dozens of pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses as well as in vivo assays against several insect species (including major pest and vector insects, such as Drosophila suzukii and Aedes albopictus). Lastly, a large and growing selection of enzyme activity screens (e.g. protease, Phospholipase A2 and D, Thrombin, Factor X, Acetylcholinesterase, Chitinase) are available and regularly employed. This broad array of activity tests allows to disentangle the functional basis of venom and venom toxins and to understand their value for bioeconomic application.