Did You Know? Mini snake glands are brewing real poison! šā”
Did you know researchers have bioengineeredĀ mini snake venom glandsĀ straight from the lab?
Using stem cells from the deadly Cape coral snake, they have created organoids that churn outĀ authentic, potent venom, similar to the wild version in disrupting neurons, clotting blood, and crippling muscles. With over 500,000 snakebite deaths yearly, ditching risky venom milking is huge.
Hans Clevers' team at the Hubrecht Institute published this inĀ CellĀ (2020, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.038). They adapted organoid technology (growing mini-organs from stem cells) to snake cells, engineering functional venom glands from scratch. TheseĀ petri-dish predatorsĀ let scientistsĀ find exactlyĀ which cells produce toxins using single-cell RNA sequencing, grown via ancient Wnt signaling pathways that keep snake stem cells thriving, just like in other animals.Ā
Antivenoms? Now faster and targeted with lab-brewed antibodies.
Drug discovery? Venom peptides could unlock cures for pain, clotting disorders, or brain conditions.
Scaling production is next: Venom's future is fierce! Nature is wild.Ā Science is WILDER!Ā š
Scientist specialized in 3D biology with hands-on experience in high-throughput screening using physiologically relevant models. During my PhD, I focused on developing and optimizing 3D cell culture assays (such as spheroids, organoids, and 3D colony formation assays) for use in high-throughput settings, gaining strong expertise in assay design and imaging. In my industry role, I contributed to the automation of complex 3D biology workflows, supporting decision-making through advanced imaging and AI-based image analysis. Iāve worked extensively with iPSCs, adult stem cells, and various 3D assay formats, driving innovation at the interface of cell biology, automation, and data science.
Please sign in or register for FREE
If you are a registered user on WORC.Community, please sign in