Venomous snakes can stop uncontrolled bleeding
Snakes! The very thought of the creatures is enough to send shivers down one's spine. On the other hand, these poisonous creatures may hold some secrets for humankind.
According to a statement issued by the institution on Monday, a biomaterials research team from the University of Queensland's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), led by Postdoctoral Research Fellow Amanda Kijas, has discovered a protein in the venom of two snakes (Australia's eastern brown and scaled viper) that has the potential to serve as a useful accelerant in the natural blood-clotting process that occurs within the human body.
A gel with the ability to close wounds
As a result of the research, a gel has been developed that can halt bleeding by coagulating at the temperature of the...