The WHO estimates that venomous snakes kill over 100,000 people each year and leave 300,000 others with severe injuries, including lost limbs. This harm is particularly severe in regions that lack strong healthcare systems. Current antivenom therapies, derived from animal plasma, are expensive, difficult to produce, and carry risks of severe side effects.
In a new study published Nature, we introduce a new approach: AI-generated proteins that counteract deadly snake toxins. These custom toxin-binding proteins could pave the way for safer, more cost-effective, and widely available next-generation snakebite treatments.
Led by recent Baker Lab researcher Susana Vázquez Torres, this project included key collaborators from the Digital Biotechnology Lab at the Technical University of Denmark.
“I believe protein
