News

Venom papers win major journal prize

[ UniNews Vol. 13, No. 3  8 - 22 March 2004 ]

University of Melbourne venom expert Dr Bryan Fry has been awarded the Journal of Molecular Evolution (JME) Zuckerkandl Prize for a paper judged by the journal’s editors to contain the most significant advance in molecular evolution published in JME in 2003.

Dr Fry is Deputy Director of the University’s Australian Venom Research Unit, based in Pharmacology. JME published two papers by Dr Fry last year, both cited for the award, which carries a $US5000 prize.

Findings from Dr Fry’s work, widely reported in the media, show many snakes assumed to be harmless contain venom as toxic as the deadly cobra.

His research has shaken the foundations of reptile evolution, opened the door for a new class of novel drugs and is causing experts to re-evaluate the relative danger of non-venomous snakes.

Dr Fry has received an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant of $250,000 over three years to continue his research.

Fascinated by venomous snakes and venom evolution, he is on a worldwide herpetological adventure to track down when, and in what snake, venom first evolved.

His first ground-breaking discovery is that snake venom developed only once in evolution and it did so about 60 million years ago, millions of years earlier than previously thought – and before the snakes we commonly think of as non-venomous even arrived on the scene.

“Contrary to popular belief, venom appears to have evolved at about the same time as advanced snakes started to appear. Even fangs and large venom glands arrived much later,” says Dr Fry.

“This means the first venomous snakes evolved from the heavy-bodied swamp monsters similar to the anacondas of today. These snakes traded in their heavy muscle for speed and agility. Venom rather than muscle became the tool necessary for these snakes to capture their prey,” he says.

The consequence of this is that venom is an inherent condition of virtually all advanced snakes – and that includes the assumed non-venomous species.

Dr Fry has now analysed the venoms from the many different snake lineages collected on his worldwide hunt and elsewhere, some of the snakes being common pet-store snakes.

He discovered that their venoms are just as complex as venoms from some of the world’s deadliest snakes such as the cobras, puff adders and taipans.

“Some non-venomous snakes have been previously thought to have only mild ‘toxic saliva’. But these results suggest that they actually possess true venoms,” says Dr Fry.

“We even isolated from a rat snake – which is common in pet stores – a typical cobra-style neurotoxin, one that is as potent as comparative toxins found in close relatives of the cobra.”

Dr Fry’s research has also boosted the number of what were previously assumed to be non-venomous snakes from a few hundred to more than 2000.

“These snakes typically have smaller quantities of venom and lack fangs, but they can still deliver their venom via their numerous sharp teeth,” he says.

“Not all of these snakes are dangerous, but it does mean that we need to re-evaluate the relative danger of non-venomous snakes.”