The Geographer Cone Snail, a beautiful but deadly ocean predator, uses a potent neurotoxic venom delivered via a harpoon-like tooth to paralyze prey instantly. While its sting can be fatal to humans, ...

Behind a pretty shell sits a precision hunter whose toxins can stop a heartbeat, yet also power pain relief and new diabetes ...

As if drowning weren't enough, there are so many ways the ocean will end your life. Add to the lethal list of box jelly fish, blue ringed octopus, fugu and the always popular great white shark, the ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Even as a boy plucking cone-snail shells from tide pools near his ...

(CN) — Despite their conventional name and colorful patterned shells, some cone snails are killers. Their venom not only paralyzes and kills their marine prey, but, depending on the species, they can ...

When it comes to research on venom and converting it into useful drugs, studies involving exotic snakes or brightly colored frogs seem to attract the most attention. However, one of the most promising ...

(KUTV) — An international team of researchers, including University of Utah Health scientists, report they have developed the world’s smallest, fully functional version of insulin. The human hybrid ...

Researchers have found that variants of this cone snail venom could offer future possibilities for developing new fast-acting drugs to help treat diabetics. The tapered cone shell is popular among ...

Select an option below to continue reading this premium story. Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading. Cone snails get their name from the shape of their shells, ...

Cone snails have inspired humans for centuries. Coastal communities have often traded their beautiful shells like money and put them in jewelry. Many artists, including Rembrandt, have featured them ...

The aptly named cone snail wears a house that resembles a Ben & Jerry’s receptacle, filled not with ice cream but with a squishy mollusk that sports an extendable, trunklike proboscis. The snails are ...