ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the snake venom proteins and molecular genetics. Not since the discovery of antibiotics has there been an event as important to science and medicine as the development of molecular genetics and cloning. The availability of antibiotics offered physicians many effective options for treatment of infectious diseases, the major killers of humans at the time of their discovery. The technology of molecular genetics promises even more benefits to us in the areas of human health and well-being, animal health, and agriculture. Molecular genetics also makes available some extremely powerful techniques for the scientist to apply in laboratory research. These techniques are now used by literally hundreds of researchers, although it is possible to count on one hand the laboratories working with snake venoms who have published studies that used molecular genetics. Nevertheless, it is expected that this situation will change and use of this technology by toxinologists will increase markedly during the next few years.
