Research old

Toxicovenomics

We employ toxicovenomics to study venoms in relation to toxin composition and toxic pharmacological effects in prey or victims. It may help guide antivenom development towards identification of what toxins are medically most relevant in complex venoms and toxin mixtures.

Antibody discovery

We employ phage display technology to identify monoclonal human and camelid antibodies against toxins. Phage display is a powerful, versatile discovery tool where billions of antibodies can be investigated for their ability to bind a given target in the matter of days.

High-density peptide microarray technology

We employ high-density peptide microarray technology to study epitope-paratope interactions between venom toxins and antivenom antibodies. This may help identify functional sites on toxins as well as sites relevant for neutralization.

CHO cell expression

We employ Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells for expression of human antibodies. CHO cells have the benefit of being mammalian and able to produce glycosylation patterns similar to the patterns found in human beings.

Parasitology

We have shown that some snake venoms toxins are effective in killing parasites. Further investigations are undergoing with the aim of elucidating the molecular mechanism behind the observed lethality and possibly developing molecular tools that may aid future drug discovery.