# Viper-active: Snake Venom Microbiome as a Source for Bacterially-derived Molecule Discovery

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2024 · $42,348

## Abstract

Proposal Summary
Historically, venoms have acted as a ‘double-edged sword’ in their impacts on human health. Snake venoms are
complex cocktails of bioactive toxins that have been a prolific source of pharmacologically useful molecules for
antibacterial, anticancer, pain management, and cardiac/hematological drug discovery and development. For
example, cathelicidin from the Colubrinae snake species Sinonatrix annularis, serves as a critical effector in host
immune response against microbial infections. At the same time, snakebite envenomation has been recently
reinstated to the list of category A Neglected Tropical Diseases by the World Health Organization (WHO), with a
3-5% risk of mortality and documented long-term, multi-organ effects after initial injury. Furthermore, three-
quarters of snake bite victims develop secondary mono or poly-microbial envenomation wound infections,
although the source of infection is still unknown. Recent studies have revealed a diverse venom microbiome,
which is distinct from the oral microbiota. Venom microbes are thought to be opportunistic colonizers, as the
snake fang and venom gland are structurally comparable to a clinical catheterization assembly which is open to
the environment and the snake oral cavity. Advances in DNA sequencing and genome mining have revealed
stress-adapted metabolism pathways in venom-associated bacterial isolates that may allow for their persistence
in the venom microenvironment. However, there has been no investigation of the full bacterial community
composition or specialized bacterial metabolites which may play a role in the venom toxin cocktail. In our
research, we aim to characterize the genomic and taxonomic diversity of bacteria in the venom gland and
understand the chemical diversity and activity of molecules produced by venom-associated bacteria. Throughout
this study, we will bridge field, laboratory, and computational studies using multi-omic and bioassay techniques
to understand the biosynthetic potential of bacteria identified in venom. Moreover, we will identify bioactive
molecules in venom-derived bacteria that have been underexplored. Overall, we hypothesize that venom-
associated bacteria hold the potential to produce bioactive compounds that pose an underexplored risk to human
health and immense chemical potential. We anticipate these efforts will add to the growing body of evidence
exploring the venom microbiome and assist with future public health guidelines for snakebite treatment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10996232
- **Project number:** 1F31AI186432-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Katherine Leah Lev
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $42,348
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10996232

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10996232, Viper-active: Snake Venom Microbiome as a Source for Bacterially-derived Molecule Discovery (1F31AI186432-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10996232. Licensed CC0.

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