THE world’s deadliest venoms, toxins and poisons are normally associated with making us ill, rather than better.

But a gathering of scientific experts in Oxford this weekend will discuss the latest breakthroughs in venoms, which have also been used to develop treatments for heart patients.

Scientists are due to meet for the 18th world congress of the International Society on Toxinology, at the Sheldonian Theatre in Broad Street and the Examination Schools in High Street.

Toxinology – the study of animal, plant, and microbial toxins – has helped create several important drugs, including some used to treat heart conditions.

The gathering, which has been organised by Prof David Warrell, founder of the Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Network and an international director of the Royal College of Physicians, will feature a series of public activities at the Sheldonian tomorrow.

Prof Warrell has spent years studying toxins in a career that has seen him travel Africa, Asia, Latin America and Papua New Guinea, to catch and study some of their most dangerous creatures.

The scientist has been bitten by a venomous snake twice himself, by a Russell’s viper in Burma and by a saw-scaled viper in Nigeria.

In particular he has sought to find more treatments for snakebites, which kill more than 100,000 people every year and leave another 400,000 either permanently disabled or disfigured.

Prof Warrell told the Oxford Mail: “We want to show people what toxinology is all about, warts and all.

“There are some real wonders in the natural world to behold.”

Prof Warrell added: “Snakebites are a major cause of death and destruction.

“It can cause serious problems like the loss of a limb.

“That is a big problem in countries like Nigeria, where if you are a manual worker it can leave you without a job and homeless.”

International organisations such as Médecins Sans Frontières are warning there is currently a global “crisis” in the supply of antivenoms in Africa and persistent rate of death from snakebites in third-world countries.

Prof Warrell said: “The biggest challenges are improving the quality and quantity of anti-venoms.

“We have to find a way to make them affordable in these countries, where they are needed most.”

Tomorrow will feature several free talks from world-renowned experts in toxinology.

Lord Mayor of Oxford Rae Humberstone will be opening the day at the Sheldonian at 9am.

From 10am, Prof Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, will chair a series of introductory talks, including one from Prof Warrell and one from visiting Frankfurt scientist Dietrich Mebs, entitled What the hell is toxinology?

At 11.15am, there will also be a debate on how snakes evolved to have venoms.

The conference’s inauguration speech today will be given by Sir John Bell, Oxford University’s Regius Professor of Medicine.

The congress continues until Wednesday.