Gain from pain: new tools from venomous animals for exploring pain pathways (2019-2022)
Abstract
Many venomous animals use their venom defensively and envenomation is frequently associated with rapid and often excruciating pain. In most cases, the molecular mechanisms by which they achieve this is unknown. This Discovery Project will use a diverse array of biochemical, pharmacological, and biophysical techniques to explore animal venoms for new pain-causing toxins to determine their structure and mechanism of action. The research is likely to uncover toxins that employ new mechanisms of pain signalling, leading to new insights into pain physiology.
