Glycans for Snakebite Detection & Treatment

Every 5 minutes, 50 people are bitten by a snake worldwide, 4 will be permanently disabled and 1 will die. Snake envenomation is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that requires urgent attention. Current research has focused on antibody-based solutions, both in diagnostics and treatments. However, this does not need to be the case; other sensing units are possible.

Glycan-protein interactions are fundamental in biology: however, they are difficult to dissect, requiring centralised high-resolution spectroscopy/spectrometry or arrays with labelled (non-native) protein probes. This is exemplified by understudied snake venoms, which are known to contain glycan binding proteins (lectins), in potentially more than 200 species. The role of these lectins is not understood, and their biotechnology potential not deployed.

This project will develop unique glycan probes which can be used with native and un-purified snake venom to identify new lectins, decode their binding capability, and produce a new generation of rapid medical diagnostics for snake envenomation as a neglected tropical disease. There is a pressing need for this research and technology with WHO estimating that snake envenomation (bites) cause ~100,000 deaths a year and approximately three times as many amputations and permanent disabilities.