what I do

  • Teaching safe handling techniques and routine protocols
  • Milking for researchers
  • Collection setup recommendations
  • Lectures
  • Counseling and assistance for the police and other agencies
  • Transportation (certificate of competence for drivers and attendants pursuant to Article 17.2)
  • Reseller for safety equipment

research

Venom can save lives. So the research is important.

So far it have resulted in several medicines in use today. The most famous ones is for treating hypertension and diabetes type 2. There are many really promising studies for more to come in several healthcare areas.

New information on the differences between and within species venom composition is also vital to develop and improve care in the event of a bite accident.

Publications I have contributed to:

Widespread and Differential Neurotoxicity in Venoms from the Bitis Genus of Viperid Snakes 2021 Youngman NJ, Harris RJ, Huynh TM, Coster K, Sundman E, Braun R, Naude A, Hodgson WC, Fry BG.

Utilising venom activity to infer dietary composition of the Kenyan horned viper (Bitis worthingtoni) Nicholas J. Youngman, Abhinandan Chowdhury, Christina N. Zdenek, Kristian Coster, Eric Sundman, Ralph Braun, Bryan G. Fry

Varespladib (LY315920) neutralises phospholipase A2 mediated prothrombinase-inhibition induced by Bitis snake venoms Nicholas J. Youngman, Andrew Walker, Arno Naude, Kristian Coster, Eric Sundman, Bryan G. Fry

Venomous Landmines: Clinical Implications of Extreme Coagulotoxic Diversification and Differential Neutralization by Antivenom of Venoms within the Viperid Snake Genus Bitis Nicholas J. Youngman, Jordan Debono, James S. Dobson, Christina N. Zdenek, Richard J. Harris, Bianca op den Brouw, Francisco C. P. Coimbra, Arno Naude, Kristian Coster, Eric Sundman, Ralph Braun, Iwan Hendrikx and Bryan G. Fry Toxins 2019, 11, 422; doi:10.3390/toxins11070422
 

conservation

Specialists are working on the conservation of reptiles from many different angles through organisations like IUCN, CITES and Zoo associations. With field studies, control of the trade in endangered species and breeding programs.

I'm coordinator for IUCN Viper Specialist Group ex-situ committee Europe

about me

Conservation of venomous reptiles and contribute to research on their venom is my passion and profession.

What drives me? An inner power of constantly wanting to know more about these animals and their venoms. How one single drop can potentially make the difference between life and death.

What I hope to achieve:  Anything from be able to contribute to discovery of the next version of a antivenin, a medicine for treatment or cure of a disease. Save species from extinction, teach about their role in nature, science and reduce the death rate from bites would be a fantastically developing life journey that I hope will contribute to improvements in the world.
 

collaborators
 
+46 70 636 8189