Members of the EU-funded ADDovenom team have been talking to the public about their work as part of the FUTURES festival, a celebration of research and innovation, held on Brunel’s historic ship, the S.S. Great Britain, in Bristol on 30 September 2022.

The event involved interactive and hands-on demonstrations, and the team showcased how traditional antivenoms are produced, and the improvements the ADDovenom project aims to achieve in snakebite therapy.

Around 450 visitors attended the sold-out evening event, including families, children, and the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, Professor Evelyn Welch. The ADDovenom showcase received lots of interest from attendees, especially the children, who were excited to learn more about snakes and the strategies to tackle snakebites.

Some visitors showed particular concern about the complications related to the use of traditional antivenoms since they had family members in Africa, and recognized the importance of improving the efficacy and affordability of next generation antivenoms for developing countries.

The ADDovenom team thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the event, and hope it has helped inspire the next generation of researchers, as some of the children demonstrated great interest and excitement in becoming scientists in the future.