#  How Venom Kills — and Can Lead to Cures 

 





How venom kills — and can lead to cures: Mandë Holford uncovers the secrets of deadly marine mollusks, how their toxins work with such targeted efficiency



 

June 08, 2026

 

 

     ![a hand reaching for a shell, among other shells, on a brown surface](/sites/g/files/omnuum6431/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-06/011226_Mande_Holford_06..jpeg?itok=16mKeGZp) 

A collection of Mandë Holford’s mollusk samples. *Harvard University*



 



 

One of the newest Curators in the MCZ, Professor Mandë Holford, is featured in the [Harvard Gazette](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/06/mande-holford-how-venom-kills-and-can-lead-to-cures/). Research in the Holford Lab focuses on venomous sea snails and cephalopods, their toxins, and how those compounds might be turned into medicines.



 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Malacology ](/news/malacology)