Can Bacteria Safely Produce Venom for Anti-Venom Research?

[Hopper_18]

TL;DR Summary

Honors Project involving anti venom thoughts/suggestions

Hello,
I am a community college student currently in cellular and molecular biology. I wanted to do an honors project for this class and I was hoping I could get some thoughts or suggestions on this idea.

My project idea is this; I want to help make anti venom through a new and creative way. I was thinking that currently anti venom process is made through the same system that it has been used for years where the snake or venomous animal is milked for its venom and then injected into a horse or other animal.

Specifically, I was focusing on the getting of the venom. Milking animals for there venom is dangerous and I feel bad for the animals. I know that one way insulin is made is by adding the gene sequence for it into a bacteria plasmid which then goes into the bacteria. You then have the bacteria making insulin constantly.

I was hoping of doing something similar with the gene sequence for a neurotoxin for example. Put in into a plasmid and grow bacteria to mass produce venom of some organism where anti venom is needed. I was wondering though, if this would actually work or would the venom just kill the bacteria on the way out of the bacteria?

Also I don’t want to accidentally hurt myself, and I feel like my school wouldn’t approve of me making a true venom assuming it does work, so if anyone has some idea for either a lot less powerful venom or perhaps another idea for something good to create from bacteria transfection, that would be super helpful.

Thank you in advance for all help and ideas!

 

[BillTre]

Bacterially produced venom may lack post translational modifications that might affect its possible antigenicity. The post-translational modifications might only occur in eukaryotes.
Alternatively, use natural venom to produce antiserum monoclonal antibodies. If you find good ones, than further milking for venom might not be necessary.

 

[Rive]

I was hoping of doing something similar with the gene sequence for a neurotoxin for example.

- Are you sure that a genetic modification of bacteria which supposed to produce deadly substances is within the acceptable scope for a honors project?

- snake venoms, for example are complex.