Sneaking up on snakes
Having been interested in all manner of slithering creatures all his life, some two decades ago, Tim Friede decided to start letting venomous snakes bite him. He was only partially motivated by a desire to find out what it’s like. He’s landed himself in the hospital several times, but you have to admit — you won’t forget about a guy like this. Eventually, Friede’s venomous quest brought him together with scientists trying to create a universal antivenom. To make such a potent potion, however, they needed to find someone who had developed antibodies to virtually all types of snake venoms. Friede was just the man, and thanks to his hobby of getting bitten by snakes, he now has a high-ranking position in a pharmaceutical company developing antivenoms. Not only was Friede interested in the snakes themselves, but the dangers they pose to people, especially in poor developing countries. He wanted to do his part in raising awareness of the need for better snake antivenoms.
Tim he was just some kinky dude from Wisconsin. What could he do? Well, he figured the best way would be to let the snakes bite him. The first time Friede submitted himself to a venomous snake bite was in 2001. He let a cobra sink its teeth into his arm. He chose cobras because he didn’t have access to other snakes, so he made do. “My first couple bites were really crazy,” Friede told NPR. “It’s like a bee sting times a thousand.” Friede was incredibly anxious before his first bites — and for a good reason. Things didn’t go exactly smoothly at first. “I was put in ICU after two cobra bites and I dropped in a coma for four days,” he admitted. Yet, Friede pulled through, and he learned something new from each envenomation. That allowed him to progress into other, much deadlier snakes. To date, Friede thinks he’s been bitten by around 200 times by increasingly venomous snakes. The list includes cobras, black mambas, taipans, and kraits. By allowing the snakes to bite him, Friede hoped that his body might some day help researchers develop new antivenoms.
He was contacted by Jacob Glanville the CEO of biotech firm Centivax, had hoped to create a universal snake antivenom. So far, antivenoms have been snake-specific — which can be kind of a bummer if you get bitten and nobody has the right juice at hand to keep you alive. For his universal cure, Glanville needed somebody who had been exposed again and again to a whole slew of different snake venoms. They are quite promising. Just the one antibody found in Friede rendered mice virtually immune to venom from five different snakes, including the black mamba. Friede is happy. Not only is he now the director of herpetology at Centivax, but he’s overjoyed that all those snakebites haven’t been for nothing. “I really couldn’t believe it. I know I’m doing something for humanity and giving back to science,” said Friede. Tim hasn’t let snakes bite him for years anymore. Strangely, he misses the mental challenge stemming from trying to live through the venom’s effects. “To know you can beat that and keep your calm and keep your cool, it’s a wonderful thing,” he mused.
Venom victor
Why should you never throw a snake like a boomerang?
Because it’ll come back to bite you.
Did you hear about the computer nerd who was eaten alive by a giant snake?
Now he’s programming in python.
Chuck Norris is so tough he was once bitten by a cobra snake.
After 3 long days of suffering, the snake died.
Always carry a small whiskey flask in case of a snake bite.
With that in mind, always carry a small snake. ~ W.C. Fields
Birthdays on May 12th
1997 – Odeya Rush, 1820 – Florence Nightingale, 1968 – Catherine Tate, 1980 – Emily VanCamp
1937 – George Carlin, 1968 – Tony Hawk, 1925 – Yogi Berra, 1963 – Emilio Estavez