VISHAM is a dedicated snakebite research and education facility being established in Bengaluru by the Evolutionary Venomics Lab at IISc, in collaboration with IBAB and supported by the Government of Karnataka, to advance venom science, antivenom development and testing, training, and wildlife forensics.
VISHAM brings together animal care, venom resources, biotechnology, and public education to advance snakebite research and treatment.
Public education, community workshops, and frontline training programmes designed to prevent snakebite envenoming and counter harmful misinformation with evidence-based first response.
Investigating geographic, ecological, and ontogenetic venom variation across snakes, spiders, scorpions, and other neglected venomous lineages across the Indian subcontinent.
Assessing regional venoms used in commercial antivenom manufacture and rigorously testing the preclinical effectiveness of Indian antivenoms.
Dedicated laboratory infrastructure, venom biobanks, and scientific mentorship for biotech startups translating venom discoveries into diagnostics and therapeutics.
Supporting the discovery and preclinical validation of recombinant monoclonal antibodies, nanobodies, and small-molecule inhibitors for snakebite care.
Three integrated programmes support pan-Indian venom resources, therapeutic development, and frontline capacity building.
Curating geographically representative, ethically extracted venoms from across India to support foundational research, next-generation antivenom development, and regulatory efficacy testing.
Specialized laboratories for high-throughput venom proteomics, recombinant antibody and nanobody discovery, small-molecule screening, and wildlife forensics.
Hands-on certification and awareness workshops for students, forest departments, border security personnel, snake rescuers, clinicians, and rural communities.
Working with communities, state forest departments, armed forces, rescuers, and clinicians to improve snakebite awareness, prevention, and response.
Public education across schools, colleges, and rural communities on venomous organisms, practical snakebite prevention, and rapid evidence-based clinical transport.
Building collaborative networks linking state forest departments, Border Security Force personnel, local rescuers, and rural healthcare centres across high-burden states.
Hands-on training in safe, ethical reptile handling, standardised scientific venom collection, cold-chain sample processing, and serpentarium husbandry.
Research showcases, multi-state training workshops, and institutional milestones.
Presenting VISHAM’s translational snakebite research and building biotechnology partnerships with industry and public-health leaders.
Training forest departments and researchers across India in ethical snake handling and standardised venom extraction protocols.
Field training in snakebite prevention, first response, and regional venomous species identification for forest department staff.
Specialized field training in king cobra radiotelemetry, spatial ecology, and safe conflict management.
Intensive training for 192 frontline personnel in snakebite prevention, first-aid response, and desert snake identification.
Knowledge exchange in serpentarium husbandry, cooperative models, and sustainable venom production.
Official foundation-laying ceremony for the Anti-Venom Research and Development Centre (AVRDC / VISHAM) in Bengaluru.
