Ontogenetic study of Bothrops alternatus snake venom

• Grant number: 25/03837-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Compared Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
• Grantee: Eduardo Oliveira Venancio de Lima
• Supervisor: Caroline Tokarski
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Université de Bordeaux, Carreire/Victoire, France
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/15660-5 - Ontogenetic study of the venom of Bothrops alternatus snakes and analysis of phospholipase A2 inhibitors as a complementary therapy to serum therapy in bothropic accidents, BP.DR

Abstract

Snakebites are considered neglected tropical diseases by the World Health Organization. The study of snake venoms is an important area of biomedical research, mainly due to its neurotoxic, hemorrhagic and proteolytic actions. The genus Bothrops is the main responsible for envenoming in Brazil and the venom of species of this genus is mainly characterized by presenting the following activities: proteolytic, coagulant and hemorrhagic. Snake venoms are subject to intraspecific variations related to several factors, including ontogeny and sex. Thus, intense studies have been carried out to elucidate these aspects in venoms of several snake species, but studies are lacking in relation to some species such as B. alternatus, which have, in general, large size and that have specialized diet in small mammals. From a clinical point of view, it is important to consider variations in the venom composition that could result in differences in their action and, consequently, in the effectiveness of the antivenom. Thus, the present study aims to elucidate the roles of ontogeny and sex of B. alternatus snakes in the composition and activities of the venom of these animals, using proteomic approaches.