He'll also describe how this potent venom, found in marine snails, helps to reveal molecular mechanisms underlying nervous system function. Dr. Baldomero Olivera Dr. Baldomero M. Olivera, distinguished professor of biology at the University of Utah, studies the hundreds of neurotoxins produced by venomous cone snails. His research has already led to the development of a potent painkiller, now in clinical trials, that appears to vanquish pain that is unresponsive even to near-lethal doses of morphine. Jr. Lecture on Wednesday, Oct. 23. Cobras, scorpions, and other venomous animals may use one primary chemical weapon to overpower their prey.
Cone snails use an entire arsenal.
Their venom contains 50 to 150 peptides, each of which wreaks havoc on the central nervous system of fish. Independently, the peptides stimulate responses that include jerky swimming, sudden whole-body rigidity, or even sleep. Together, they cause chemical shock, paralysis, and death. Shells from some of the world's cone snails. Of the 500 species of cone snails found in tropical oceans, about 70 species produce poisonous venom.