The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, is turning to artificial intelligence to tackle one of India's persistent public-health challenges: snakebite deaths.
India loses an estimated 58,000 lives to snakebite every year, according to IISc. Researchers at the institute's Evolutionary Venomics Lab (EVL) are using Anthropic's Claude to analyse the country's highly diverse snake venoms and identify common toxin targets that could pave the way for broadly neutralising antivenoms.
The project is being undertaken through Anthropic's AI for Science programme, which provides researchers with access to its AI models and API credits for high-impact scientific work.
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According to Anthropic India Managing Director Irina Ghose, Dr Kartik Sunagar's Evolutionary Venomics Lab is using Claude to curate and annotate complex venom datasets as researchers search for targets for a next-generation antivenom that could work across India.
Why Venom Diversity Matters
India's commercially available antivenom is produced using venom from only four snake species, with venom collection largely concentrated in one district of Tamil Nadu, according to Anthropic. This can limit its effectiveness against bites from snakes in other parts of the country, where venom composition can vary significantly.
IISc said the remarkable diversity of snake venoms across species and regions makes developing effective antivenoms a particularly challenging scientific problem.
The objective of the IISc research is to develop antivenoms capable of neutralising venom from multiple snake species. Such treatments could potentially reduce the need for hospitals to maintain a wide range of species-specific antivenoms.
"India loses an estimated 58,000 lives to snakebite every year," IISc said, adding that AI could help researchers analyse venom data "at a scale and speed that were previously difficult to achieve."
From Venom Maps To AI-Assisted Research
The EVL has been studying venom variation for years. In 2024, the laboratory worked on a synthetic antivenom, followed by the development of "venom maps" in 2025.
The maps use local climatic conditions to predict variations in the venom of Russell's Viper, one of India's most medically significant snakes. Researchers have examined how factors including temperature, humidity and rainfall can influence the biochemical characteristics of its venom.
The research is aimed at understanding the composition, activity and potency of Russell's Viper venom and the biological and environmental factors that shape it.
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IISc said the convergence of AI, evolutionary biology and translational science could help accelerate the development of the next generation of snakebite therapies.
Anthropic's AI For Science Push
Anthropic launched its AI for Science programme in May 2025, offering API credits to researchers working on high-impact scientific projects, particularly in biology and life sciences.
The company said AI could help scientists analyse complex datasets, generate hypotheses, design experiments and accelerate drug discovery.
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