Cone snail venom attacks the nervous system with a mixture of peptide toxins to cause convulsive shock, sedation and even paralysis. But for scientists like Dr. Baldomero M. Olivera of the University of Utah and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the venom also holds enormous pharmacological value. He explores the evolutionary diversity of such toxins and their potential healing properties. From the Series:HHMI’s Understanding Biomedical Research Series