Product Highlight for July 2017 – RSM Used to Monitor the Effects of Venom in Toads

This month’s product highlight comes from Associate Professor Jamie Seymour from James Cook University in Australia. Associate Professor Jamie Seymour or the “Jelly Dude from Nemo land” has been researching and working with venomous and dangerous animals for over 20 yrs with his present interest being “Why do animals have venom?” Based in Cairns, in Northern Australia, an area that has an over abundance of venomous animals, he is uniquely placed to study the ecology and biology of Australia’s venomous species. He teaches at all levels at James Cook University, one of the top 5% of research universities in the world with his favorite subject being “Venomous Australian Animals”, a subject designed and taught by this effervescent academic.

Below in The Nature of Science video, Professor Seymour demonstrates how venom paralyses the heart of a large toad. With the help of the Indus Rodent Surgical Monitor, Professor Seymour can measure the ECG signals of the toad as the venom courses through it’s heart. Professor Seymour is also using the external needle electrodes to monitor the ECG signals, this way the small animal does not have to be taped down over the internal electrodes. The Rodent Surgical Monitor can be used for a wide variety of small animals like rabbits, mice, rats, toads, guinea pigs, bats, and many more.