From poison to painkiller: Incredible close-up of tarantula having its venom 'milked' for research into pain relief

These pictures show a scientist harvesting venom from a tarantula that will then be used to help create the next generation of painkiller. Deadly venom from snakes and spiders is used by scientists all over the world looking to alleviate the suffering of people in agony. London's Science Museum held a live demonstration of a tarantula being ‘milked’ for venom at the launch of a new exhibition – Pain Less: the future of relief, which runs from today until July 2013.

Deadly: Chris Loaring, a venom extraction technician, demonstrates how to 'milk' venom from a tarantula during the preview of a Science Museum exhibition about pain relief

Steve Trim, Director of Venomtech, a company that provides venom for research, demonstrated demonstrate how venom is extracted from the posionous creatures and then supplied to scientists to make the perfect painkiller. The exhibition explores the future of pain relief and the different ways that pain management is being developed. It will feature information on technological advances like a new virtual reality kit designed by the University of Manchester to help phantom limb patients: the sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached to the body. It ‘tricks’ the mind and allows the patient to virtually 'exercise' the missing limb to help manage the condition, common among amputees, without painkillers.

 

Squeeze: The venom contains secrets that can be used by scientists to research the next generation in pain medication

Nerves of steel: Mr Loaring demonstrates how to extract venom from a False Water Cobra during the exhibition opening at the Science Museum

According to a market research survey by SymphonyIRI Group, a little under six billion painkillers were sold to us Brits in the UK last year. Suzy Antoniw, Head of Content for Pain Less, said; 'All of us have a personal relationship to pain but is our current way of dealing with pain working or do we need to think differently? 'A world without pain could be dangerous, but for the 1 in 5 who live in chronic pain, it could be life-changing. 'Painkillers and powerful anaesthetics work for most people but there are side effects, drugs may become less effective, or addictive.' 'The Science Museum’s new Pain Less exhibition explores the future of pain relief and whether new understanding of the link between the brain and body can help us find ways to overcome pain. Pain Less encourages us to consider what would a future with less pain means for us.

 Source: Daily Mail UK  

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