Local lab takes ‘bite’ out of serpentine misconceptions for medicine, education
Snakes and scorpions often times are the stuff of nightmares. Not only are these creepy-crawlies hard to look at, but they pack quite a punch with their strong venom. Although venomous snakes and scorpions aren’t commonly found in the backyards of Oshkosh, they are found nearly everywhere in the Mtoxins Venom Lab. Located on 717 Oregon Street, MToxins is a lab dedicated to extracting venom for medicinal and research purposes. It is run by owner and founder Nathaniel Frank.
photo by Claire Garton
MToxins provides opportunities for the community to come in and see snakes like this in person. Visitors can enjoy private tours, or stop by the lab during business hours.
“The purpose of the lab is to provide large numbers of scorpion and snake venoms to manufacture antivenoms that are used all over the world,” he said. “It also provides interactive experiences for visitors. The public are given opportunities to learn about animals hands on and watch live venom extractions.”
Frank got into the snake venom business after a unique situation about 10 years ago.
“I was keeping a type of snake that no one else in the United States had,” he said. “I was asked to provide the venom from it. It turned into a relationship with a large number of researchers, and I just continuously kept providing venom and it grew and grew and grew.”
Just as Frank's interest in venoms grew, so did the range of places he sold those venoms too. The staff at MToxins do not just sell off and provide the venom, they also work alongside research institutions and pharmaceutical companies and provide their own input. They help others learn more about venom and treating snakebites.
“We work with several research institutions all over the world; the University of Queensland, the University of Arizona, all over. You name it,” Frank said. “If they’re studying venom, they purchase it from us.”
The scientists at MToxins spend most of their time looking into toxicology involving humans and experimental research. In most cases, the venoms Frank extracts are taken from the Mtoxins lab and used to create antivenoms that are distributed all across the world.
“The venoms we supply to make the antivenoms are used in the Middle East, Asia, all of Africa, and South America,” he said. “Our biggest customer is a company called Inosan Biopharma and they are the highest quality antivenom manufacturer in the world.”
Although Frank spends a lot of time selling extracted venom to research institutions and antivenom companies, he wants to make sure he helps educate and spread the word about venom in the community.
“We are incredibly driven in two areas,” he said. “Number one is the saving of lives throughout the world, and that's our primary focus, but number two is a family friendly educational center and there's no other facility like this in the entire Midwest.”
Finding a venom lab in America is substantially difficult, and it is rare to have a unique resource like MToxins so close to the community.
“The closest facility that does live venom extraction and education is actually in Kentucky, and then the rest of them are in Florida,” Frank said.
As an education focused lab, the facility allows for members of the community to observe a lot of the special animals and procedures that occur.
“The public gets the opportunity to watch us work with the animals and go through a guided presentation about what we do,” Frank said.
Chemistry teacher Stacey Markon had the opportunity to go on a private tour that MToxins provided. Markon was one of many science school district teachers who attended this tour.
“The district organized a field trip for sixth through twelfth grade science teachers within the district,” she said. “It was a very unique opportunity for us to see first hand science in action, and Mr. Frank encouraged us to have field trips there.”
These appearances have the potential to make an impact in many students’ lives. Markon reflected on how these trips can inspire their path in the future.
“It's so much more memorable for students doing science activities outside of school,” she said. “I remember going to museums or going to different events and it just really triggered your memory and it gets you excited about future learning.”
A part of the learning at MToxins is a live demonstration for how venom is extracted from the snakes.
“When they go to extract the snake venom, which is about every two to up to six weeks depending on the species of the snake, the snake bites into a shower curtain,” Markon said. “Since the plastic is thick enough, it won’t go into the snake's mouth and the venom goes into the cup.”
Senior Bryna Goeking also had the opportunity to tour MToxins. She heard about the new establishment and wanted to go see what it was all about. She admired how this new company brings a more educational aspect to Oshkosh.
“I feel like Oshkosh isn’t really known for anything for science that much, so having more science in our community is cool, especially something this unique,” she said.
photo by Claire Garton
Many snakes and other venomous creatures call MToxins lab home. The lab has been educating the community by showing visitors that snakes can help people all around the world, and don't have to be scary.
Although Oshkosh is home to the Menominee Park Zoo, Goeking shares how the MToxins lab experience differs from any other.
“Zoos don’t really provide anything except for entertainment for humans, but you can see that Nathaniel has the snakes for a purpose, and he takes really good care of them,” she said. “He explained how the snakes’ bins are all set up for their environments that are best suited for them. It’s more humane than a zoo, not just for the animals, but for humans as well.”
With the venom bringing in people who are drawn to danger, Goeking liked how lively the demonstration was, and how Frank’s love for his work showed through in the presentation.
“You could also really tell that Nathaniel liked what he was doing and knew that he was safe, because he always assured us that he knew what he was doing,” she said. “It was just cool to see how Nathaniel does everything. He explained how the toxins work on the body and why they're extracting them. He even talked about his story and how he got involved.”
Despite the differences between the Menominee Park Zoo and the venom lab, MToxins does house other species of animals along with a built-in zoo, although the lab is mainly focused on venom. The lab brings in special types of animals in order to create the best learning environment for the visitors. They have a plethora of species, including kangaroos and owls.
“We are constantly bringing in different animals for hands-on experiences,” Frank said.
The public can also watch live venom extractions from snakes and scorpions, which adds to the education aspect of MToxins. In order to combat COVID-19 concerns, there is the option to schedule a private tour that is done during off hours, when the rest of the building is not available to the public. The same thing is done for birthday parties or reservations for large groups. Frank urges people to come and visit the MToxins lab.
“You will never have another experience like this anywhere else in the state of Wisconsin,” he said. “You're able to get hands on and up close with animals.”
These tours and ‘up close and personal’ opportunities are what Frank believes make MToxins special to Oshkosh.
“MToxins is important for the community because of our educational center, which is considered separate from the venom production facility,” he said.
Markon is one of many people who had a great time at MToxins, and got to experience something that few people have done.
“Holding snakes at the end was incredible,” she said. “I held a python and he just came and snuggled next to me. Of course he wasn’t posionous at that moment, but I did hold a poisonous snake and it was exhilarating.”
One of the greatest impacts of the lab is how it changes people’s minds about things they might have previously been afraid of. Frank has seen a lot of people come through the doors of the lab, and has found that people usually walk out of the doors with a different mindset.
“We get a lot of people in here that are afraid of snakes,” he said. “They’re afraid of scorpions, spiders and stuff, and they leave with a whole new appreciation for them.”
By Hannah Chung, Abby Furcy, and Meghan Oakes
Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue I
October 2nd, 2020