Biology

Prof. R. Manjunatha Kini
National University of Singapore, Singapore

Mankind has drawn inspiration from nature to help resolve various situations. Examining nature has aided in the development of almost every aspect of our lives - from buildings and bridges to materials and medicine. We benefit from these nature’s revelations several times a day and often without realization. Venomous animals are found throughout the phylogenetic tree. Venoms and toxins have evolved to assist them in the immobilization of prey and food capture as well as keeping the predators and competitors away. At the first glance, venomous animals, their venoms and toxins appear as villains and detrimental to you and your community. Despite their deadly, debilitating and harmful effects, a significant number of toxins have contributed to the development of (a) life-saving drugs; (b) diagnostic agents; and (c) research tools. In addition, they contribute to understanding fundamentals of chemistry, folding and evolution of proteins. Thus, over the last several decades, toxin research has contributed significantly to both basic and applied sciences. We have been interested in structure-function relationships, mechanism of action and evolution of protein toxins. In this talk, I will highlight the impact of toxin research to our daily lives.