The VIPER Institute is based in Tucson, Arizona, housed in the University of Arizona’s BIO5 Institute. Together with scientists and clinicians around the world, we study the effects of venom – from spiders, snakes, and scorpions, mainly – on people and animals that are bitten or stung. Some of our affiliated scientists are figuring out how venom interacts with cells and chemicals of the body; others are using venom as the biological starting point for making new drugs.