The promise of the cone snail

 
They might be known better for their exquisitely patterned shells, but cone snails are also some of the planet's most lethally venomous animals. The slow and seemingly innocuous marine snail is in fact an efficient predator. It hints fast-moving fish with its venom-coated harpoon, releasing sophisticated toxins that stun, paralyse and finally kill the prey.
Focusing on their venom, and its possible medical uses, leading science institutes and a university have come together for a major collaborative study of the snail. These institutions include the Tata institute of Fundamental Research(TIFR) in Mumbai, the Indian Instiute of Sceince(IISc) and the National Centre for Biological Sceince, both in Bangalore, and Annamalao University in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu.


(The Hindu, 17th March , 2007)