Science Stories with Joe Johnson

Our resident science guy Joe Johnson brings us this week’s science roundup featuring : A potential universal anti-venom breakthrough, signs of life in one of the most remote places on Earth, and methane-farming sea spiders.

Could One Man’s Blood Hold the Key to a Universal Anti-Venom?
A study in the June 12 issue of Cell explores a major development in the decades-long search for a universal anti-venom — and it all starts with a man who voluntarily injected himself with snake venom hundreds of times.

Around 100,000 people worldwide die each year from venomous snakebites, with another 300,000 suffering permanent injuries. Traditional anti-venoms are species-specific, made by injecting small amounts of venom into animals (often horses) and harvesting the antibodies. This means that each type of venom — from cobras to taipans — requires its own tailored anti-venom, a major limitation in regions with diverse snake populations.

Enter Tim Friede, a self-taught herpetologist and former truck mechanic, who spent decades immunizing himself against snake venom. Friede reportedly survived over 200 snakebites — including two near-fatal bites from a king cobra — and became what researchers dubbed a “hyperimmune human donor.”

Scientists studying Friede’s blood identified two broadly neutralizing antibodies capable of targeting neurotoxins common to a group of deadly snakes called elapids. By combining these antibodies with a new drug under development, researchers created an anti-venom cocktail that allowed mice to survive lethal doses of venom from 19 elapid species.

While still in early stages, this approach could revolutionize treatment in regions with limited medical access and diverse venomous species. Experts caution against anyone attempting Friede’s methods at home — but agree his unusual path may save thousands of lives.

A River Beneath the Ice: Antarctic Discoveries Rewrite the Map
A team of New Zealand scientists drilling through 1,500 feet of Antarctic ice expected to find bedrock. Instead, they discovered a vast subglacial river — and signs of life in one of the most remote places on Earth.

Reported in Nature Geoscience on May 12, the research focused on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Ross Ice Shelf — a region considered a critical “cork” holding back massive glacial flows. Drilling into the Camb Ice Stream, researchers used 175°F water to bore a narrow hole through the ice, uncovering a channel nearly 100 meters high and 200 meters wide, flowing slowly beneath the glacier.

The river system showed complex layering, with freshwater and saltwater moving in different directions and sudden surges likely triggered by the draining of hidden subglacial lakes. Sediment cores revealed an active ecosystem — and even more surprisingly, tiny crustacean-like creatures resembling lobsters.

This hidden world is reshaping how scientists understand ice dynamics and sea-level rise. As global warming accelerates glacial melting, insights like this are essential for refining climate models and predicting the future of coastal regions.

Meet the Sea Spiders Farming Bacteria at Methane Seeps
In the deep, dark ocean where sunlight never penetrates, strange creatures thrive — and scientists just uncovered three new species of sea spiders doing something never seen before.
As detailed in the June 16 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers studying methane seeps off the U.S. West Coast and in the Aleutian Trench discovered these tiny, half-inch sea spiders living in ecosystems powered not by sunlight, but by methane. These seeps, fueled by decaying organic matter, release methane gas into the water, which special bacteria then use to produce energy through a process called chemosynthesis.

What’s groundbreaking is how these sea spiders feed: they “farm” the methane-consuming bacteria on their exoskeletons, scraping off the microbes with specialized mouthparts and legs. Each methane seep was found to host its own unique spider species — suggesting rapid adaptation and specialization in these extreme environments.

To confirm the spiders’ diet, researchers cultivated them in methane-rich seawater enriched with carbon-13 (a traceable isotope). The carbon-13 showed up in the spiders’ tissues, confirming they were indeed consuming the bacteria they cultivated on their bodies.

While the study is a window into life in one of the Earth’s most alien environments, it also hints at broader implications. Since methane is a potent greenhouse gas, understanding — and perhaps one day harnessing — these microbes could have environmental benefits.

Image: Male sea spider carrying egg cases preserved in osmium tetroxide. (Credit: Shana K. Goffredi)