Ocean swimming... and the box jellyfish antidote

Last time we talked about stingers, we learnt some valuable insights - don't wee on them! Turns out, there may be some better solutions on the horizon. Associate Professor Greg Neely, from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, has discovered an antidote to the sting of the most venomous creature on Earth -  the Australian box jellyfish.

Greg's antidote, discovered using CRISPR genome editing technology, blocks the symptoms within 15 minutes, and overlaps interestingly with research conducted into cholesterol. This means that the drug development may already be out there and we could see something in the hands of life-savers sooner rather than later.

Songs in this episode - all licensed under a Creative Commons License:

• Jellyfish - Fidser
• Jellyfish in space - Kevin MacLeod
• Sapphire - Tobu

Image from Will Fisher