Spider Sense Nadia Ayoub, professor of biology, loves sharing her passion for open-ended scientific exploration with colleagues and students.

By Kelsey Goodwin
October 30, 2024

“Dr. Ayoub’s guidance has helped me realize the importance of keeping an open mind and exploring new opportunities within the scientific world.”

~ Karolina Mazur ’26

A recent October morning found Nadia Ayoub, professor of biology, taking a walk on Woods Creek Trail behind W&L’s campus, scanning the surrounding foliage for spider webs — the last traces of a season of weaving before temperatures turn too chilly for many of the arachnid species she studies in her lab. Shortly after passing through the towering shadow of the Lenfest Center, she pauses at a stop on the trail where the sunlight pierces through the trees to illuminate a funnel-shaped spider web winding its way into the undergrowth on the embankment.

“She found an excellent spot in the sun,” Ayoub says, pointing to a barely visible female funnel-weaver spider tucked into the web’s conical heart. After gently trying to coax the spider out with no success, she treks back down the trail toward her office, where several specimens collected earlier in the year await.

Ayoub introduces new research students in her lab to the specimens they will be collecting in the same manner, inviting them on walks near Woods Creek or other spots in the local area that offer up examples of the kinds of spiders she studies and how best to capture them. Ayoub’s research specializes in genetics and has developed a unique focus on spiders over the years. Her research often examines the genetic and protein structures that enable spiders to adapt their behaviors and biological materials to different environmental conditions. Notable projects include studying spider glue proteins in orb-weaving spiders to understand how proteins impact material properties, an inquiry that opens possibilities to studying biomaterials and evolutionary biology. To collect specimens for her research, she has taught students to look for species that build large webs that are easily spotted, even in the dark.

“It’s best to go out at night — you’ll see so many,” Ayoub says. “The silk shimmers when shining a light on it. Similarly, wolf spiders are incredibly easy to collect because their eyes shine brightly in the dark.”

Ayoub is supporting a current National Science Foundation-funded study examining how spiders adapt their circadian rhythms to varying light and dark cycles with lead investigator Natalia Toporikova, professor of biology, a project Ayoub says was borne from conversations with her former research student, Andrew Mah ’18, a neuroscience major who wanted incorporate the spiders into his neuroscience research. In collaboration with Toporikova and student researchers, Ayoub investigates how spiders adjust their internal clocks in response to various light and dark cycles. This study explores whether spiders’ circadian flexibility is genetically inherited, leveraging spiders’ evolutionary diversity to reveal broader insights into circadian biology. Spiders are placed in different light cycles in the lab to observe cycles of behavior over the course of 24 hours and to analyze gene expression every four hours, to uncover inherited traits behind these adaptable rhythms.

“The cool thing about spiders is that there are many species with a wide range of circadian behaviors,” Ayoub said. “Some species, like the funnel weavers, have a typical 24-hour circadian period even when kept in constant lab conditions. On the other hand, the trashline orb weaver may have a period of activity as short as 18 hours in constant conditions. Others can have a longer circadian period of around 28 hours but all these species maintain a 24-hour activity cycle in the wild.”

Ayoub says the variation in circadian periods across species is a crucial focus of her research because it provides insights into the ecology and evolution of these behaviors, especially compared to the circadian rhythms of mammals. By studying a wide range of spider species, the team aims to identify genetic commonalities driving circadian changes across evolutionary timelines. This interdisciplinary project engages students from various fields, allowing them to participate in real-world research, navigate open-ended scientific exploration and gain collaborative experience.

Ayoub joined the W&L community in 2009 after getting her doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Tennessee and serving as a postdoctoral research and NIH fellow at the University of California, Riverside. She says she remains inspired in her teaching and research by students and colleagues at W&L who challenge her. Her colleagues say she, in turn, encourages them.

“Dr. Ayoub’s profound curiosity about evolutionary biology has transformed our understanding of spider evolution,” Toporikova says. “Her innovative research approach unveiled new mysteries in spider genetics and physiology and inspired a generation of scientists. In the classroom, she has a remarkable talent for guiding students to the heart of scientific discourse, challenging them to engage with the broader implications of research. After a decade of collaboration, I can say that Nadia’s enthusiasm for discovery is truly contagious — she has fundamentally shaped my research trajectory in spider behavior.”

Ayoub and associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, Kyle Friend, have collaborated as co-authors on a peer-reviewed study focused on the material properties of orb-weaving spider glue. Ayoub led the NSF-funded study examining how spider glue proteins adapt to varying humidity levels in different environments, and Friend supported the project. Together, they worked with students and external colleagues to analyze protein composition in spider glues, uncovering how material properties evolve — a unique convergence of biology and chemistry expertise that strengthened the project.

“Nadia is an incredibly thoughtful and intentional scholar and educator,” Friend says. “She doesn’t shy away from complexity or challenges in her work but is willing to lean into difficulty when that is where her curiosity leads.”

Ayoub said seeing students gain confidence and independence through the hands-on field experiences, which she describes as eye-opening for them in terms of becoming aware of all the organisms around them that they never noticed before, is one of her great joys, as is sharing her passion for science and “the little questions that maybe nobody else would get excited about.”

“This summer, my research students organized a spider-collecting trip all on their own to go out and gather specimens over the course of a weekend, and it was wonderful to see them express such enthusiasm for our work together,” Ayoub says.

Karolina Mazur ’26, a biochemistry major from Szczecin, Poland, started attending weekly journal classes on circadian genetics with Ayoub in January 2024 to prepare for the Summer Research Scholars program in June and further research in Ayoub’s lab during this academic year. Mazur said she gained a theoretical understanding of circadian genetics and practical skills that will be useful in all her endeavors.

“Beyond just laboratory techniques and data analysis, I’ve learned the importance of attention to detail, precision and patience — qualities essential for success in research and everyday life,” Mazur said of her work with Ayoub. “Critical thinking and problem-solving have also been a significant part of this experience, helping me approach challenges with a more analytical mindset. These lessons go beyond the lab and have provided me with a lifelong, deeper understanding of how to approach scientific inquiry and professional work.”

Mazur said Ayoub’s guidance and mentorship have been integral to her academic path.

“Ever since my BIO-111 classes with her my freshman year, Dr. Ayoub has always encouraged me to explore different levels of various academic paths,” Mazur said. “Dr. Ayoub’s guidance has helped me realize the importance of keeping an open mind and exploring new opportunities within the scientific world. Moreover, the hands-on lab skills I’ve gained while working in her lab have been valuable. I know these skills will help me in my future scientific career, giving me practical experience that can be applied in real-world research environments.”

Listen to this 2021 episode of the W&L After Class podcast to learn more about Ayoub’s research.

Ayoub’s encouraging style as an adviser is echoed by Cooper Lazo ’24 who now works in a biology lab at Dartmouth College. Lazo, a former Summer Research Scholar of Ayoub’s, hopes to attend graduate school and pursue a research career, which he said was sparked by her experiences with Ayoub.

“My work with Dr. Ayoub was my first experience doing scientific research outside of a lab course, and it truly was foundational to helping me figure out what I wanted to do career-wise,” Lazo said. “I think Dr. Ayoub recognized my passion for research pretty early on, and from there, she helped me develop my skills as a scientist and pushed me to keep learning and asking questions.”

Lazo said Ayoub encourages all her students to think critically about science throughout their work together.

“During my time in her lab, I was able to pursue an independent research project looking at protein composition of glue droplets at different parts of a spider’s web, inspired by one of our lab group paper discussions,” Lazo says. “I asked a question regarding the protein components of these different droplets. Dr. Ayoub encouraged me to explore the question and see how we could answer it in our lab. She supported me by letting me design an experiment to test the hypothesis, analyzing the data and eventually writing a manuscript on the results recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Arachnology. This work and Dr. Ayoub’s support have given me confidence in myself and my ability to conduct scientific research.”

Jamal Magoti ’23, a neuroscience major from Mwanza, Tanzania, is in medical school at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He said Ayoub’s guidance and mentorship helped him pursue medical school.

“The way Dr. Ayoub taught genetics sparked my interest in molecular biology,” Magoti said. “She was always willing to stay a few minutes after class to talk through my questions about concepts that were sometimes way above the required material for that class. Her willingness to engage with my questions, no matter how advanced or outside the syllabus, showed me the depth of the subject and its potential for real-world applications.”

“I feel so fortunate to work with brilliant students and colleagues,” Ayoub says. “I am constantly learning alongside them and never cease to feel joy when a student exclaims with delight over a new discovery.”

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