Venom doc tracks down snake bioweapons
Bryan Grieg Fry, Ph.D., a scientist from the University of Melbourne, Australia, has conducted the first comprehensive analysis of the origin and evolution of one of nature's most sophisticated bioweapons: snake venom. His results are reported in the March issue of the journal Genome Research. Venomous snakes, all of which belong to the superfamily Colubroidea, evolved glands for the stora...Researchers reveal secrets of flying snakes
It seems size does matters after all. But for flying snakes, smaller is better, according to University of Chicago researchers. "Despite their lack of wing-like appendages, flying snakes ar...Stanford snake venom study shows that certain cells may eliminate poison
Death by snakebite is horrible. The immediate pain of the bite is followed by swelling, bruising and weakness, then sweating or chills, with numbness, nausea, blurred vision and possibly convulsions before it's all over. Such misery is produced by a veritable witches' brew of toxins in snake venom. It's long been thought that the body's own immune system, rather than reducing the symptoms...Snakes' virtual glasses, leopard spots and all-optical transistors
Even in the dark, snakes on a plane (at least those of the pit viper and boa varieties) could keep a close watch on terrorized passengers and crew thanks to small cavities near their snouts known as pit organs. The organs are sensitive to the infrared radiation emitted by warm prey such as rats, rabbits, and Samuel L. Jackson. An optical analysis of pit organs suggests that snakes shouldn't be ab...Snake venom a treatment for digestive disease
Medical researchers from Irvene college,California report that proteins chemically related to snake venom and frog skin secretions may lead to the development of new treatments for a range of stubborn digestive disorders. The findings, mark the discovery of two naturally occurring human proteins, which the researchers have named prokineticins.How the proteins were //discovered is a ta...Australian Snake Venom Can Arrest Bleeding During Surgery And Trauma
It has been found that the venom of Australian snakes can rapidly arrest bleeding during major trauma and vascular surgery.The finding could eventually pave way for // development of the next generation of therapeutic drugs for humans. Taipan venom has been found to contain high amounts of a blood-clotting protein, referred to as factor X. The gene responsible for the production of fa...Arthritis Pain Can Be Eased Using Snake Venom
Scientists have found that snake venom can be used for easing the debilitating pain from arthritis. // Naftali Primor, research and development manager at the Shulov Institute of Sciences (SIS) in Israel where the research is being carried out, believes that an analgesic based on snake venom could be on sale within five years. The researchers studied the Palestinian viper...Snake Like Robots Designed to Assist Surgeons
With the advances in technology, new high technology based tools to assist in the operating room// in the future is being designed by researchers of Johns Hopkins University. These instruments would make the whole medical procedure a lot more safe and effective. The tools include a snakelike robot that could enable surgeons, operating in the narrow throat region, to make incisions and...WHO on an Anti Rabies and Snake Bite Mission
WHO plans to improve the treatment given to people bitten by snakes or dogs. An estimated US$ 10 million is assigned for this mission//. Africa, Latin America and Asia are the most affected countries in terms of rabies, snake bite and scorpion stings. When it comes to snake bite, the actual number of death is not known as many of them prefer home remedies to hospital intervention. <br...