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Dr Michel Dugon

MSc, PhD

 
researcher
 

Biography

I am a zoologist specialist of the evolution and development of venom systems, predation strategies and prey detection in venomous invertebrates. I am currently investigating a range of related topics including the morphology and development of spider venom glands and the potential of arthropod venom as a novel source of antimicrobial compounds for the pharmaceutical industry. You can find out more about my work on my lab page: https://www.facebook.com/dugonlab/

Research
• Lecturer in Zoology (Since September 2017)
• IRC postdoctoral Research Fellow in Plant & AgriSciences (2015 - 2017)
• Physiology, development and ethology of venomous organisms
• Instigator of an Memorandum of Understanding between NUI Galway and The University Ibn Zohr of Agadir, Morocco (2018).
• Founder of a cross-campus network of experts dedicated to venom studies (2016)
• Founder of the NUI Galway Venom Systems & Proteomics Lab (2015)
• Academic editor for Toxins (IF 3.942) and The Zoological Journal of the Linnaean Society   (IF 2.316)

Teaching
• Teaching duties include: invertebrate biology (ZO208), reptile biology (ZO208), integrative zoology (ZO416), advanced zoology (ZO414), practical field course (ZO419), biometry / statistics (ZO415 / ZO509)
• Supervision of arthropod and reptile-related undergrad and postgrad research projects / PhD thesis 
• Recipient of the 2015 NUI Galway President’s Award for Teaching Excellence 
• Recipient of the 2015 National Teaching Expert Award
• Postgraduate Certification in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education delivered by NUI Galway
Dissemination & Outreach
• TED global speaker (Over 1.6 million views between October 2018 and April 2019)
• Guest speaker at the NHM Dublin, NHM Budapest, Royal Irish Academy, University of North Wales    Bangor, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Cambridge University and Oxford University 
• Guest author of a chapter for Springer’s Evolution of Venomous Animals and Their Toxins (2015) 
• Founding director of Eco Explorers, Ireland’s leader in university-led environmental science outreach (149 schools   visited, over 25,000 pupils and 5,000 adults in direct outreach between 2013 and April 2019) 
• Contracted TV host (RTE) and media consultant (SKY, National Geographic, FantasticFilm).
• Over 140 media outputs between 2013 and 2019, including RTE, the BBC and The Irish Times
• Global television and Internet coverage for research on the therapeutic potential of spider venom

Research Interests

  • Predation Strategies
  • Ecology of venomous arthropods
  • Venom Systems (morphology, development, function)
  • Venom composition
  • Venom-based biodiscovery
  • Venomics
  • Symptomatic of arthropod envenomations

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2019) 'The kiss of (cell) death: can venom-induced immune response contribute to dermal necrosis following arthropod envenomations?'
JP Dunbar, R Sulpice, MM Dugon (2019) 'The kiss of (cell) death: can venom-induced immune response contribute to dermal necrosis following arthropod envenomations?'. Clinical Toxicology, :1-9 [DOI] [Details]
(2018) 'Biting off more than one can chew: first record of the non-native Noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis (Thorell, 1875) feeding on the native Viviparous lizard Zootoca vivipara (Lichtenstein, 1823) in Ireland'
John Paul Dunbar, Collie Ennis, Robert Gandola, Michel Marie Dugon (2018) 'Biting off more than one can chew: first record of the non-native Noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis (Thorell, 1875) feeding on the native Viviparous lizard Zootoca vivipara (Lichtenstein, 1823) in Ireland'. Biology And Environment-Proceedings Of The Royal Irish Academy, 118B :45-48 [DOI] [Details]
(2018) 'New Irish record for Steatoda triangulosa (Walckenaer, 1802), and new county records for Steatoda nobilis (Thorell, 1875), Steatoda bipunctata (Linnaeus, 1758) and Steatoda grossa (C.L. Koch, 1838)'
John Dunbar, Janic Schulte, Keith Lyons, Antoine Fort, Michel Dugon (2018) 'New Irish record for Steatoda triangulosa (Walckenaer, 1802), and new county records for Steatoda nobilis (Thorell, 1875), Steatoda bipunctata (Linnaeus, 1758) and Steatoda grossa (C.L. Koch, 1838)'. Irish Naturalists Journal, 36 (1) [Details]
(2017) 'Occurrence, Reproductive Rate and Identification of the Non-Native Noble False Widow Spider Steatoda Nobilis (Thorell, 1875) in Ireland'
Dugon, M. M.,Dunbar, J. P.,Afoullouss, S.,Schulte, J.,McEvoy, A.,English, M. J.,Hogan, R.,Ennis, C.,Sulpice, R. (2017) 'Occurrence, Reproductive Rate and Identification of the Non-Native Noble False Widow Spider Steatoda Nobilis (Thorell, 1875) in Ireland'. Biology and Environment-Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 117b (22):77-89 [Details]
(2017) 'Envenomation by the noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis (Thorell, 1875) - five new cases of steatodism from Ireland and Great Britain'
Dunbar, J. P.,Afoullouss, S.,Sulpice, R.,Dugon, M. M. (2017) 'Envenomation by the noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis (Thorell, 1875) - five new cases of steatodism from Ireland and Great Britain'. Clin Toxicol (Phila), :1-3 [Details]
(2015) '‘Degraded’ RNA profiles in Arthropoda and beyond'
Sean D. McCarthy, Michel M. Dugon, Anne Marie Power (2015) '‘Degraded’ RNA profiles in Arthropoda and beyond'. Peerj, [Details]
(2012) 'Comparative studies on the venom duct structure of centipedes (Arthropoda: Chilopoda) and a hypothesis on the evolutionary origin of the centipede venom apparatus'
Dugon, M. M. and Arthur, W. (2012) 'Comparative studies on the venom duct structure of centipedes (Arthropoda: Chilopoda) and a hypothesis on the evolutionary origin of the centipede venom apparatus'. Evolution And Development, [Details]
(2012) 'Variation and specialisation of the forcipular apparatus of centipedes (Arthropoda: Chilopoda): A comparative morphometric and microscopic investigation of an evolutionary novelty'
Dugon, MM;Black, A;Arthur, W (2012) 'Variation and specialisation of the forcipular apparatus of centipedes (Arthropoda: Chilopoda): A comparative morphometric and microscopic investigation of an evolutionary novelty'. Arthropod Structure & Development, 41 :231-243 [DOI] [Details]
(2012) 'Prey orientation and the role of venom availability in the predatory behaviour of the centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans (Arthropoda: Chilopoda)'
Dugon, MM;Arthur, W (2012) 'Prey orientation and the role of venom availability in the predatory behaviour of the centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans (Arthropoda: Chilopoda)'. Journal Of Insect Physiology, 58 :874-880 [DOI] [Details]
(2012) 'Development of the venom ducts in the centipede Scolopendra: An example of recapitulation'
Dugon, M. M., Hayden, L., Black, A. and Arthur, W. (2012) 'Development of the venom ducts in the centipede Scolopendra: An example of recapitulation'. Evolution And Development, [Details]

Book Chapters

  Year Publication
(2015) 'Evolution, Morphology and Development of the Centipede Venom System'
Michel M Dugon (2015) 'Evolution, Morphology and Development of the Centipede Venom System' In: Evolution of Venomous Animals and Their Toxins. Netherlands: Springer Science. [Details]

Honours and Awards

  Year Title Awarding Body
2015 President's Award for Teaching Excellence NUI Galway
2015 National Teaching Expert Award The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education