Indian researchers decode genes of cobra venom using cutting-edge technology

In a first, scientists from the Chennai-based SciGenom Research Foundation (SGRF) have decoded the most contiguous genome of the venomous Indian cobra. Scientists were targeting 19 specific toxins using synthetic human antibodies to develop a more effective anti-venom for treating Indian cobra bites. 

Scientists from SGRF, AgriGenome Labs, MedGenome and Genentech, along with a team of international collaborators came together to publish a report on the sequencing and assembly of the high-quality genome of the highly venomous and medically important Indian cobra (Naja naja).  

The historical research

Dr Manjunatha Kini, Professor, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore and an author on the study said, "It is about time we modernize antivenom development by leveraging genomics, recombinant protein expression, and synthetic antibody development technologies. The Indian cobra genome and the catalog of target toxins are a blueprint needed to do this. For the first time, we now have a full list of venom-relevant toxin genes of the Indian cobra".

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''The Indian cobra is the first of the 'big four' deadly snakes to be sequenced. This is a major step towards understanding its venom components and it will effectively change the way antivenom is developed" said Dr. George Thomas, Chief Operating Officer, AgriGenome Labs, India. He further added, "This study has provided a very high-quality reference genome that will make an assessment of the Indian cobra genetic diversity possible and practical. It will be an important resource for the conservation of this revered and feared Indian snake".

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According to the official website of SGRF, anti-venom is produced by immunizing horses with extracted snake venom and is based on a process developed well over 100 years ago. This process is laborious and suffers from a lack of consistency leading to varying efficacy and serious side effects.

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According to the official website of SGRF, over 1,00,000 deaths occur globally each year just by accidental contact with venomous snakes and over 400,000 individuals suffer permanent disabilities, including amputation. In India alone, over 50,000 people die where over 2.8 million snake bite cases are reported annually. Indian cobra, common krait, Russell's viper and saw-scaled viper, infamously called the 'big four' are the major causes behind these deaths. 

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