Our snake venom episode last week took us down some fascinating roads, from the pathophysiological effects of these compounds to the snake detection hypothesis and from the development of antivenom to the incidence of snakebite around the world today. But how did we make it through that whole episode without discussing how and why these venoms evolved in the first place? It’s because we were saving it for this one, where we enlisted the expert help of Professor Nick Casewell, Professor of Tropical Disease Biology at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Director of the Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions. In this bonus episode, the last in our series for now, Professor Casewell takes us through the remarkable world of snake venom evolution, covering such topics as the genetic basis for venom evolution, how snake venom is related to prey type, why spitting cobras spit, and so much more. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts to gain an even greater appreciation for these venom-producing snakes as well as the brilliant people who research them!
Further Reading:
- Casewell, Nicholas R., et al. “Complex cocktails: the evolutionary novelty of venoms.” Trends in ecology & evolution 28.4 (2013): 219-229.
- Casewell, Nicholas R., et al. “Medically important differences in snake venom composition are dictated by distinct postgenomic mechanisms.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111.25 (2014): 9205-9210.
- Casewell, Nicholas R., et al. “Domain loss facilitates accelerated evolution and neofunctionalization of duplicate snake venom metalloproteinase toxin genes.” Molecular biology and evolution 28.9 (2011): 2637-2649.
- Casewell, Nicholas R., et al. “Causes and consequences of snake venom variation.” Trends in pharmacological sciences 41.8 (2020): 570-581.
- Harrison, Robert A., et al. “The time is now: a call for action to translate recent momentum on tackling tropical snakebite into sustained benefit for victims.” Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 113.12 (2019): 835-838.
- Zancolli, Giulia, and Nicholas R. Casewell. “Venom systems as models for studying the origin and regulation of evolutionary novelties.” Molecular Biology and Evolution 37.10 (2020): 2777-2790.
- Why snakes and people should mix, featuring Dr. Nick Casewell, Wellcome Trust
