Venoms—molecules that evolved as toxins—have the power to transform lives. In this think + drink, we trace the scientific path from mollusks to medicine, examining how venom evolved over time in some predatory snails, and how we can use this evolutionary knowledge as a roadmap for discovering and characterizing new compounds with therapeutic potential for treating pain and cancer.
Dr. Mandë Holford is an associate professor in Chemistry at Hunter College and CUNY-Graduate Center, with scientific appointments at The American Museum of Natural History and Weill Cornell Medicine. She examines venoms and venomous animals as agents of change and innovation in evolution, and in manipulating cellular physiology in pain and cancer. She is also cofounder of Killer Snails, LLC, an award winning EdTech company that uses tabletop, digital, and XR games about extreme creatures in nature as a conduit to advance scientific learning in K-12 classrooms.