Targeted identification of membrane protein modulators from venom

Venomous predators evolved a large diversity of compounds to capture prey or defend themselves against predators or competitors. Because of their high stability and potency, these compounds have become highly valuable tools in scientific research, and some have even been developed as medicines. For example, tetrodotoxin from the poisonous pufferfish is one of the most widely used compounds in neuroscience research. Recently, we and others have shown that marine cone snails use thousands of different toxins to capture fish. In this project, we will set up a processing platform to efficiently separate cone snail venom into its individual components to identify those toxins that have a high potential to become future research tools and potential medications.