Fish-Hunting Cone Snail Venoms: Exploring New Dimensions of Natural Products Biology
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Baldomero Olivera, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah
Dr. Baldomero “Toto” Olivera is Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of Utah and a pioneer in the study of cone snail venoms. His research has identified and characterized conopeptides, potent neurotoxins that target ion channels and receptors and have advanced understanding of molecular neuroscience. Several peptides discovered by his laboratory entered clinical trials, including Prialt®, an approved treatment for severe chronic pain. Dr. Olivera earned his Ph.D. from Caltech and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the National Academy of Medicine.
Summary
*Special Thursday Lecture
The cone snails (genus Conus, family Conidae) have evolved complex venoms with over a hundred different bioactive components. Each of the ca.1000 different cone snail species has its own distinctive complement of venom components. For a small subset of these, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying bioactivity have been elucidated, leading to an understanding of how they affect physiological systems and behavior in the envenomated prey. This can then lead to new insights into the selective advantage conferred by the component’s presence in the venom, in the context of the ecology and evolutionary history of that particular cone snail species. Thus, like all natural products, every cone snail venom component can be used to investigate the biology of the species that produces it, integrating multiple levels and dimensions. Specific examples of such well-characterized bioactive components from fish-hunting cone snail venoms will be presented and discussed in the context of the diverse biology of these predatory marine snails.
Learning Objectives:
- Every natural product evolved for a specific biological purpose; what needs to be elucidated about an individual natural product to understand it's biological role?
- What are the predominant molecular targets of bioactive cone snail venom components?
How does understanding the biological mechanisms that underlie the function of Conus venom components facilitate the definition of potential translational applications? - Investigating the different biological dimensions correlated with each cone snail venom component is far more facile than for other plant and animal natural products.
- Explain why a similar comprehensive biological characterization of most natural products that have been chemically well defined remains extremely challenging.
This page was last updated on Thursday, October 22, 2026