(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 ...

Image of a predatory marine snail, Conus geographus, hunting a fish. The snail relies on fast-acting venom to subdue its prey, which enters hypoglycemic sedation due to one of the venom’s components, ...

For millions of people with diabetes, insulin is essential medicine. But for some ocean-dwelling predators, insulin is a weapon. With a burst of venom, a fish-hunting cone snail can drop the blood ...

A cone snail (Conus geographus) hunting for a fishy snack. Jason Biggs and Baldomero Olivera Venom that snails use to paralyze their prey before gobbling them up could inspire a new drug for diabetes.

Images of the cone snail Conus geographus attempting to capture fish prey. As the snails approach potential prey, they release a specialized insulin into the water, along with neurotoxins that inhibit ...

Insulin produced by a predatory cone snail (Conus geographus), pictured here hunting a fish, appears to act three times faster than current therapeutic insulin products, according to new research.