
Overview
Background
Venoms play a range of adaptive roles in the animal kingdom from predation to defense to competitor deterrence. Remarkably, despite their biological importance and uniqueness, the evolution of venom systems is poorly understood. New insights into the evolution of venom systems and the importance of the associated toxins cannot be advanced without recognition of the true biochemical, ecological, morphological and pharmacological diversity of venoms and associated venom systems. A major limitation has been the very narrow taxonomical range studied. Entire groups of venomous animals remain virtually unstudied. My research is inherently interdisciplinary, integrating ecological, evolutionary, and functional genomics approaches in order to understand the evolution of venom systems. Studies range from discovering the shock-inducing hypotensive and anticoagulant venom of the iconic Komodo Dragon through to exploring the unique temperature specific adaptations of Antarctic octopus venoms.
Availability
- Professor Bryan Fry is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Works
Search Professor Bryan Fry’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Journal Article
Production, composition, and mode of action of the painful defensive venom produced by a limacodid caterpillar, Doratifera vulnerans
Walker, Andrew A., Robinson, Samuel D., Paluzzi, Jean-Paul V., Merritt, David J., Nixon, Samantha A., Schroeder, Christina I., Jin, Jiayi, Goudarzi, Mohaddeseh Hedayati, Kotze, Andrew C., Dekan, Zoltan, Sombke, Andy, Alewood, Paul F., Fry, Bryan G., Epstein, Marc E., Vetter, Irina and King, Glenn F. (2021). Production, composition, and mode of action of the painful defensive venom produced by a limacodid caterpillar, Doratifera vulnerans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118 (18) 2023815118, e2023815118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2023815118
2021
Journal Article
Getting stoned: Characterisation of the coagulotoxic and neurotoxic effects of reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) venom
Harris, Richard J., Youngman, Nicholas J., Chan, Weili, Bosmans, Frank, Cheney, Karen L. and Fry, Bryan G. (2021). Getting stoned: Characterisation of the coagulotoxic and neurotoxic effects of reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) venom. Toxicology Letters, 346, 16-22. doi: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2021.04.007
2021
Journal Article
Clinical implications of differential procoagulant toxicity of the palearctic viperid genus Macrovipera, and the relative neutralization efficacy of antivenoms and enzyme inhibitors
Chowdhury, Abhinandan, Zdenek, Christina N., Dobson, James S., Bourke, Lachlan A., Soria, Raul and Fry, Bryan G. (2021). Clinical implications of differential procoagulant toxicity of the palearctic viperid genus Macrovipera, and the relative neutralization efficacy of antivenoms and enzyme inhibitors. Toxicology Letters, 340, 77-88. doi: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2020.12.019
2021
Journal Article
Not Goanna Get Me: Mutations in the Savannah Monitor Lizard (Varanus exanthematicus) nicotinic acetylcholine receptor confer reduced susceptibility to sympatric cobra venoms
Jones, Lee, Harris, Richard J. and Fry, Bryan G. (2021). Not Goanna Get Me: Mutations in the Savannah Monitor Lizard (Varanus exanthematicus) nicotinic acetylcholine receptor confer reduced susceptibility to sympatric cobra venoms. Neurotoxicity Research, 39 (4), 1116-1122. doi: 10.1007/s12640-021-00351-z
2021
Journal Article
A clot twist: extreme variation in coagulotoxicity mechanisms in Mexican neotropical rattlesnake venoms
Seneci, Lorenzo, Zdenek, Christina N., Chowdhury, Abhinandan, Rodrigues, Caroline F. B., Neri-Castro, Edgar, Benard-Valle, Melisa, Alagon, Alejandro and Fry, Bryan G. (2021). A clot twist: extreme variation in coagulotoxicity mechanisms in Mexican neotropical rattlesnake venoms. Frontiers in Immunology, 12 612846, 612846. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.612846
2021
Journal Article
ERK and mTORC1 inhibitors enhance the anti-cancer capacity of the octpep-1 venom-derived peptide in melanoma BRAF(V600E) mutations
Moral-Sanz, Javier, Fernandez-Rojo, Manuel A., Potriquet, Jeremy, Mukhopadhyay, Pamela, Brust, Andreas, Wilhelm, Patrick, Smallwood, Taylor B., Clark, Richard J., Fry, Bryan G., Alewood, Paul F., Waddell, Nicola, Miles, John J., Mulvenna, Jason P. and Ikonomopoulou, Maria P. (2021). ERK and mTORC1 inhibitors enhance the anti-cancer capacity of the octpep-1 venom-derived peptide in melanoma BRAF(V600E) mutations. Toxins, 13 (2) 146, 1-19. doi: 10.3390/toxins13020146
2021
Journal Article
Electric blue: molecular evolution of three-finger toxins in the long-glanded coral snake species Calliophis bivirgatus
Dashevsky, Daniel, Rokyta, Darin, Frank, Nathaniel, Nouwens, Amanda and Fry, Bryan G. (2021). Electric blue: molecular evolution of three-finger toxins in the long-glanded coral snake species Calliophis bivirgatus. Toxins, 13 (2) 124, 1-16. doi: 10.3390/toxins13020124
2021
Journal Article
Extensive variation in the activities of Pseudocerastes and Eristicophis viper venoms suggests divergent envenoming strategies are used for prey capture
op den Brouw, Bianca, Coimbra, Francisco C. P., Bourke, Lachlan A., Huynh, Tam Minh, Vlecken, Danielle H. W., Ghezellou, Parviz, Visser, Jeroen C., Dobson, James S., Fernandez-Rojo, Manuel A., Ikonomopoulou, Maria P., Casewell, Nicholas R., Ali, Syed A., Fathinia, Behzad, Hodgson, Wayne C. and Fry, Bryan G. (2021). Extensive variation in the activities of Pseudocerastes and Eristicophis viper venoms suggests divergent envenoming strategies are used for prey capture. Toxins, 13 (2) 112, 1-21. doi: 10.3390/toxins13020112
2021
Journal Article
Utilising venom activity to infer dietary composition of the Kenyan horned viper (Bitis worthingtoni)
Youngman, Nicholas J., Chowdhury, Abhinandan, Zdenek, Christina N., Coster, Kristian, Sundman, Eric, Braun, Ralph and Fry, Bryan G. (2021). Utilising venom activity to infer dietary composition of the Kenyan horned viper (Bitis worthingtoni). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology and Pharmacology, 240 108921, 108921. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108921
2021
Journal Article
Anticoagulant Micrurus venoms: targets and neutralization
Dashevsky, Daniel, Benard-Valle, Melisa, Neri-Castro, Edgar, Youngman, Nicholas J., Zdenek, Christina N., Alagon, Alejandro, Portes-Junior, Jose A., Frank, Nathaniel and Fry, Bryan G. (2021). Anticoagulant Micrurus venoms: targets and neutralization. Toxicology Letters, 337, 91-97. doi: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2020.11.010
2021
Journal Article
Pan-American lancehead pit-vipers: coagulotoxic venom effects and antivenom neutralisation of Bothrops asper and B. atrox geographical variants
Bourke, Lachlan A., Zdenek, Christina N., Neri-Castro, Edgar, Bénard-Valle, Melisa, Alagón, Alejandro, Gutiérrez, José María, Sanchez, Eladio F., Aldridge, Matt and Fry, Bryan G. (2021). Pan-American lancehead pit-vipers: coagulotoxic venom effects and antivenom neutralisation of Bothrops asper and B. atrox geographical variants. Toxins, 13 (2) 78, 1-18. doi: 10.3390/toxins13020078
2021
Journal Article
Electrostatic resistance to alpha-neurotoxins conferred by charge reversal mutations in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
Harris, Richard J. and Fry, Bryan G. (2021). Electrostatic resistance to alpha-neurotoxins conferred by charge reversal mutations in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288 (1942) 2703, 20202703. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2703
2021
Journal Article
Widespread and differential neurotoxicity in venoms from the Bitis genus of viperid snakes
Youngman, Nicholas J., Harris, Richard J., Huynh, Tam M., Coster, Kristian, Sundman, Eric, Braun, Ralph, Naude, Arno, Hodgson, Wayne C. and Fry, Bryan G. (2021). Widespread and differential neurotoxicity in venoms from the Bitis genus of viperid snakes. Neurotoxicity Research, 39 (3), 697-704. doi: 10.1007/s12640-021-00330-4
2021
Journal Article
BoaγPLI from boa constrictor blood is a broad-spectrum inhibitor of venom PLA2 pathophysiological actions
Rodrigues, Caroline Fabri Bittencourt, Zdenek, Christina N., Serino-Silva, Caroline, de Morais-Zani, Karen, Grego, Kathleen Fernandes, Bénard-Valle, Melisa, Neri-Castro, Edgar, Alagón, Alejandro, Tanaka-Azevedo, Anita Mitico and Fry, Bryan Grieg (2021). BoaγPLI from boa constrictor blood is a broad-spectrum inhibitor of venom PLA2 pathophysiological actions. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 47 (10-11), 907-914. doi: 10.1007/s10886-021-01289-4
2020
Journal Article
Slow lorises use venom as a weapon in intraspecific competition
Nekaris, K. A.I., Campera, Marco, Nijman, Vincent, Birot, Hélène, Rode-Margono, Eva Johanna, Fry, Bryan Grieg, Weldon, Ariana, Wirdateti, Wirdateti and Imron, Muhammad Ali (2020). Slow lorises use venom as a weapon in intraspecific competition. Current Biology, 30 (20), R1252-R1253. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.084
2020
Journal Article
Differential coagulotoxicity of metalloprotease isoforms from Bothrops neuwiedi snake venom and consequent variations in antivenom efficacy
Sousa, Leijiane F., Bernardoni, Juliana L., Zdenek, Christina N., Dobson, James, Coimbra, Francisco, Gillett, Amber, Lopes-Ferreira, Mônica, Moura-da-Silva, A.M. and Fry, Bryan G. (2020). Differential coagulotoxicity of metalloprotease isoforms from Bothrops neuwiedi snake venom and consequent variations in antivenom efficacy. Toxicology Letters, 333, 211-221. doi: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2020.08.009
2020
Journal Article
Assessing the binding of venoms from aquatic elapids to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor orthosteric site of different prey models
Harris, Richard J., Youngman, Nicholas J., Zdenek, Christina N., Huynh, Tam M., Nouwens, Amanda, Hodgson, Wayne C., Harrich, David, Dunstan, Nathan, Portes-Junior, José A. and Fry, Bryan G. (2020). Assessing the binding of venoms from aquatic elapids to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor orthosteric site of different prey models. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21 (19) 7377, 1-13. doi: 10.3390/ijms21197377
2020
Journal Article
Widespread evolution of molecular resistance to snake venom α-neurotoxins in vertebrates
Khan, Muzaffar A., Dashevsky, Daniel, Kerkkamp, Harald, Kordiš, Dušan, de Bakker, Merijn A. G., Wouters, Roel, van Thiel, Jory, op den Brouw, Bianca, Vonk, Freek, Kini, R. Manjunatha, Nazir, Jawad, Fry, Bryan G. and Richardson, Michael K. (2020). Widespread evolution of molecular resistance to snake venom α-neurotoxins in vertebrates. Toxins, 12 (10) 638, 638. doi: 10.3390/toxins12100638
2020
Journal Article
Pets in peril: the relative susceptibility of cats and dogs to procoagulant snake venoms
Zdenek, Christina N., Llinas, Joshua, Dobson, James, Allen, Luke, Dunstan, Nathan, Sousa, Leijiane F., Moura da Silva, Ana M. and Fry, Bryan G. (2020). Pets in peril: the relative susceptibility of cats and dogs to procoagulant snake venoms. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part C: Toxicology and Pharmacology, 236 108769, 108769. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108769
2020
Journal Article
Varespladib (LY315920) neutralises phospholipase A2 mediated prothrombinase-inhibition induced by Bitis snake venoms
Youngman, Nicholas J., Walker, Andrew, Naude, Arno, Coster, Kristian, Sundman, Eric and Fry, Bryan G. (2020). Varespladib (LY315920) neutralises phospholipase A2 mediated prothrombinase-inhibition induced by Bitis snake venoms. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part - C: Toxicology and Pharmacology, 236 108818, 108818. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108818
Funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Bryan Fry is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Evolutionary and clinical implications of differential pathophysiological effects of rattlesnake venoms upon blood coagulation, cell function, and nerve transmission.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Andrew Walker
-
Doctor Philosophy
Clinical implications and evolutionary insights of Latin American pit viper venom function
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Fernanda Cardoso, Dr Andrew Walker
-
Doctor Philosophy
Pathophysiological actions of elapid venom on prey and human targets
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Clinical implications and evolutionary insights of Latin American pit viper venom function
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Fernanda Cardoso, Dr Andrew Walker
-
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluation of Phylogenetic Patterns of Scorpion Pathophysiological Effects and Effectiveness of Next-Generation Antivenoms
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Glenn King, Dr Sam Robinson
-
Doctor Philosophy
The evolution of prey-selectivity for snake venom neurotoxins, and the parallel evolution of neurotoxin resistance in prey
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Pathophysiological actions of elapid snake venom on prey and human targets
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Venom variation in New World pit vipers
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Fernanda Cardoso, Dr Andrew Walker
-
Doctor Philosophy
Pathophysiological actions of elapid snake venom on prey and human targets
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluation of Phylogenetic Patterns of Scorpion Pathophysiological Effects and Effectiveness of Next-Generation Antivenoms
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Glenn King, Dr Sam Robinson
-
Doctor Philosophy
Venom variation in American pit vipers
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Andrew Walker
-
Doctor Philosophy
Anacondas as sentinel species for accumulation of oil spill heavy metals into the food web
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianxin Zhao
-
Doctor Philosophy
Utilising invertebrates to identify novel coagulotoxins
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Glenn King, Dr Andrew Walker
Completed supervision
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Pathophysiological actions of elapid snake venom on prey and human targets
Principal Advisor
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Therapeutic options for divergent snake venom.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Mary-Louise Roy Manchadi
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Coagulotoxicity and neurotoxicity variation in Bitis venoms: Evolutionary, pathophysiological and biodiscovery implications
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Andrew Walker
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
The Co-Evolutionary Dynamics of alpha-Neurotoxic Snake Venoms and their Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Targets
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Andrew Walker
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Evolution and Diversification of the Anguimorphan Lizard Venom System
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Characterising venom variation and antivenom effectiveness within the "True" vipers (Viperinae: Viperidae)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Effects of Australian snake venoms on coagulation: Differential potency, biochemistry, and antivenom efficacy
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Novelty in three-finger toxin evolution
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
A Blood Bond: Evolutionary, Pathophysiological and Biodiscovery implications of coagulotoxic snake venoms
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Tarantulas of Australia: phylogenetics and venomics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Glenn King, Associate Professor Lyn Cook
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Evolution of the venom system in aculeate hymenoptera
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
An investigation of the evolution of the Anguimorph lizard venom system
Principal Advisor
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Evolution and diversification of the cnidarian venom system
Principal Advisor
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
A philosophical and empirical investigation of the evolution of the toxicoferan reptile venom system
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter, Professor Glenn King
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2014
Doctor Philosophy
Centipede Venom Evolution: Casting light on a neglected group of venomous animals
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Glenn King
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Bryan Fry directly for media enquiries about:
- Animal venoms
- Antivenoms
- Biodiscovery
- Drug design
- Venom
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