Monash University joins national effort to decode and harness venoms for science and innovation

Picture courtesy of Professor Peter Prentis

Researchers from the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) are among the team supporting the newly established Australian Venom Innovation and Discovery (AVID) Initiative.

Australia harbours one of the world’s richest diversities of venomous species, from spiders and snakes to marine organisms and insects. Venoms play critical ecological roles, helping species hunt, defend themselves, and adapt to their environments. They also provide unique insights into evolution, with venom systems having arisen more than 100 times across the animal kingdom. Yet despite their abundance and importance, most of Australia’s venomous species remain poorly understood.

The Australian Venom Innovation and Discovery (AVID) Initiative is a new national program that will change this by building the first large-scale molecular data resource on Australia’s venomous biodiversity.

AVID will bring together leading research, industry and government groups to create open data that deepens our understanding of venom systems and their role in nature. This knowledge will strengthen conservation and biodiversity management, and at the same time open new opportunities in medicine, agriculture and defence – from developing safer antivenoms and agricultural biocontrol tools to inspiring the next generation of peptide-based therapies and insecticides.

The program has three goals:

  • Understanding venomous species: Discover how venom systems work, how they have evolved, and how species use them to adapt to their environments.
  • Mapping venom chemistry: Analyse the make-up of venoms to reveal their ecological functions and identify new bioactive compounds with useful properties.
  • Turning discovery into impact: Make these data assets openly available so researchers and industry can translate knowledge into environmental management, new therapies, diagnostics and sustainable agricultural solutions.

AVID is being developed with advice from experts across Australia, including The University of Queensland; Macquarie University; MIPS at Monash University; James Cook University; Proteomics International (WA); Defence Science and Technology Group; and the Australian National Insect Collection at CSIRO. The initiative is coordinated by Bioplatforms Australia as part of its mission to provide high-quality molecular data in support of research and innovation for national benefit.

“Venoms are one of the richest untapped sources of biomolecules on the planet,” said Professor Glenn King (The University of Queensland), scientific lead for AVID. “By studying Australia’s unique venomous species, we not only learn more about their biology, but also open the door to new drugs, sustainable agriculture solutions and better ways to protect our environment.”

Leading the MIPS team is Professor Ray Norton, one of Australia’s leading experts in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics from venom-derived peptides.

“Australia is home to an ecosystem of unique venomous species that are rich in bioactive molecules – in particular proteins and peptides. Our research focuses on harnessing these venom components to develop innovative therapeutics for a range of diseases”

An open call for partnerships will be launched in the coming weeks, inviting research groups to contribute to this national effort and help generate high-quality reference data aligned with AVID’s goals.

To read the original article and learn more visit: https://bioplatforms.com/australian-venom-innovation-and-discovery-initiative-launch/