Chinese scientists use yeast to brew blood clot fighting snake venom like beer

By inserting the genes of a poisonous snake into yeast, mainland Chinese scientists were able to mass produce blood clot fighting venom for the first time.

The artificial venom contains a precious protein that could prevent clotting in blood vessels and save many lives, the team said in a study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

“We encountered lots of challenges. Transferring the gene from one species to another is easy, but to keep the new species alive and useful is extremely difficult,” said professor Xiao Weihua, lead scientist of the project at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, told the South China Morning Post.

The venom production genes came from Agkistrodon acutus, a pit viper with a large, triangular head. The snake is called the “five pace” snake in some parts of China because locals believe its poisonous bite could knock out a person within a few steps.

Xiao’s team took two genes from the serpent and inserted them at a few “mutation-friendly” sites in the chromosome of Pichia pastoris, a microorganism commonly used in the fermentation process for food and drinks.

The yeast with snake genes was cultured at room temperature and fed with glycerol, a sweet-tasting compound that can also be used to make explosives. After about 18 hours, the scientists injected methanol into the test tube, and the yeast was stimulated to convert the glycerol into snake poison proteins.

“Don’t worry, they don’t bite,” said Xiao in response to the Post's query about the safety of the technology.