WEST AUSTRALIAN (Perth, Australia) 24 December 10 Uni student to research cane toad venom (Tony Bartlett)
(AAP) They're ugly, toxic, and a plague on Australia's wildlife, but a Queensland uni student is hoping to redeem cane toads using the very poison which kills so many native animals.
Stuart Sharry, 20, who's studying Medical Science at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, has been awarded nearly $54,000 to research cane toad venom using cutting-edge technology available at the National University of Singapore.
The fourth year honours student will research unique cane toad venom molecules which may have anti-cancer, antibiotic and pain killing qualities.
Mr Sharry's university supervisor, S Niru Nirthanan, has a long record in the research of snake and scorpion venom and set up a neuropharmacology drug discovery laboratory at the National University of Singapore before heading to the Gold Coast in 2008.
"What gives Stuart an edge is that venom research has been a strength in Singapore for over 25 years," Dr Nirthanan said.
"Toad and frog skin compounds are believed to have chemical substances which are capable of killing bacteria and other microbes.
"Toads and frogs have thrived in dirty waters and swamps for 300 million years; they have evolved to be resistant to many forms of disease and you rarely see infections on their skin."
Mr Sharry said a detailed profile of the composition of cane toad venom could help develop new classes of antibiotics to fight drug-resistant bacteria, but he admits giving up a career in medicine to concentrate on research is a bit of a gamble.
"If you don't get a result, you help no-one, but if you make a breakthrough, you can help lots of people," he said.
"I'm quite okay not being in the spotlight saving lives, I'm happy to build towards the future."
He will leave for Singapore after Easter to start his research and return home to the Gold Coast to complete his fourth year studies, before going back to Singapore to do an internship at the National Neuroscience Institute.
Uni student to research cane toad venom