Australian snakes’ venom could provide the next generation of human therapeutic drugs. A blood-clotting protein in taipan venom has been identified by Queensland University of Technology PhD researcher Liam St Pierre to rapidly stop excessive bleeding during vascular surgery and major trauma. The genetic code for the toxin, Factor X (Factor Ten), was identified by PhD researcher Liam St Pierre from QUT’s School of Life Sciences who studied the venom of eight of Australia’s deadliest land snakes for their therapeutic potential.
