Deadly Venoms, Life-saving Medicines: Animal Venoms and Diabetes Breakthroughs This episode of the Discovery Dialogues Podcast, hosted by Ani Deshpande and Pam Itkin-Ansari, explores the astonishing world of animal venoms and their unexpected role in developing groundbreaking medical treatments. The episode begins with the tragic and intriguing story of a young man, Charles Garbut, who died after being stung by a cone snail at the Great Barrier Reef. The discussion then dives into the fascinating biology of cone snails, their deadly venoms, and the groundbreaking discovery of insulin within their toxins by Dr. Helena Safavi. The hosts explore how this discovery could revolutionize diabetes treatment by leading to faster-acting insulins. The episode also covers historical and contemporary examples of venom-derived medications, like Captopril, derived from Brazilian pit viper venom, and Integrilin, inspired by rattlesnake venom. The episode ends on an uplifting note with the story of Lelia Bullion, a young girl with Type 1 diabetes, and her life-saving relationship with her diabetic alert dog, Gizmo. Through these stories, the episode highlights the potential of animal venoms in modern medicine and their profound impact on diseases like diabetes. 00:00 The Deadly Cone Snail Incident 01:43 Introduction to Discovery Dialogues Podcast 03:11 The Lethal Beauty of Cone Snails 06:41 Venoms in Medicine: From Snakes to Snails 14:18 The Discovery of Insulin in Cone Snail Venom 20:51 The Dual Nature of Insulin 35:30 The Role of Glucagon and Somatostatin 38:44 A Heartwarming Story: Lelia and Gizmo.