Spider webs catch more than prey. They're also jam-packed with animal DNA
Spider webs, it turns out, trap more than unwitting bugs. The sticky surfaces also contain a bounty of genetic materials from dozens of animal species — making them a powerful tool for measuring biodiversity.
![Spider webs catch more than prey. They're also jam-packed with animal DNA](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7107773.1707331499!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/josh-newton.jpg)
![Josh Newton, a PhD candidate at Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences in Australia, collects spiderwebs so he can analyze them for animal DNA. A man in sunglasses wraps an elaborate spider web around a small plastic stick.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7107773.1707331499!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/josh-newton.jpg)
Spider webs, it turns out, trap more than unwitting bugs. The sticky surfaces also contain a bounty of genetic materials from dozens of animal species — making them a powerful tool for measuring biodiversity.