CA19144 - European Venom Network (EUVEN)

Venomous organisms produce complex mixtures of bioactive compounds that have evolved through million years of natural selection in evolutionary arms races. As such, they are extremely efficient, being usually effective at a very low concentration via highly specific interactions with key molecular targets (ion channels, enzymes and membrane components), identifying them as ideal candidates for therapeutic and biotechnological development.

Venom research is an emerging and highly multidisciplinary field that involves studies of the biodiversity, ecology and evolution of venomous organisms, the structure and function of venom deployment systems, the biochemistry and pharmacology of venoms, the pathophysiological effects that venom induces in prey and predators, and the translational development of venom components for biomedical and biotechnological applications. These different research facets tend to be pursued by different research groups that usually are poorly coordinated in Europe, hampering a full development of venom investigation and applications.

The overarching aim of the EUVEN COST Action is to foster venom investigation at the European level. The Action will identify priority targets and promising innovative approaches, develop best practice pipelines ensuring consistency across Europe and providing international standards in venom research. Further, it provides a novel platform to promote synergistic interactions between academia, industry and society, and to nurture a new generation of venom researchers with a multidisciplinary expertise. Building a gender, age and geographically balanced network involving all the relevant stakeholders will be the fundamental prerequisite to leverage the extraordinary biochemical warfare enclosed in animal venoms, with an enduring scientific, technological and socioeconomic impact.