Zoltan Takacs
Encyclopedia
Zoltan Takacs is a Hungarian-born toxinologist
and tropical adventurer specializing in venomous snakes and snake venoms. He is a National Geographic Society
Emerging Explorer.
Takacs holds a Ph.D. in pharmacology from Columbia University
, and is currently a faculty member at the University of Chicago
. He is co-inventor
of the designer toxin technology, which creates a large number of animal toxin variants and screens for those that bind to a potential drug target
. His other main research area is why cobras and sea snakes are resistant to their own venom.
At Columbia University, Takacs served as an Earth Institute
Fellow, and is a recipient of the National Geographic Society's Research and Exploration grant. He has been featured on the National Geographic Channel
in several snake documentaries. Takacs has traveled to 133 countries, is an aircraft pilot, scuba diver, and wildlife photographer.
Toxinology
Toxinology is the specialized area of science that deals specifically with animal, plant, and microbial toxins. Prof. Dietrich Mebs has defined toxinology as "the scientific discipline dealing with microbial, plant and animal venoms, poisons and toxins". Additionally stating that "toxinology...
and tropical adventurer specializing in venomous snakes and snake venoms. He is a National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
Emerging Explorer.
Takacs holds a Ph.D. in pharmacology from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and is currently a faculty member at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He is co-inventor
Inventor (patent)
In patent law, an inventor is the person, or persons in United States patent law, who contribute to the claims of a patentable invention. In some patent law frameworks, however, such as in the European Patent Convention and its case law, no explicit, accurate definition of who exactly is an...
of the designer toxin technology, which creates a large number of animal toxin variants and screens for those that bind to a potential drug target
Biological target
A biological target is a biopolymer such as a protein or nucleic acid whose activity can be modified by an external stimulus. The definition is context-dependent and can refer to the biological target of a pharmacologically active drug compound, or the receptor target of a hormone . The...
. His other main research area is why cobras and sea snakes are resistant to their own venom.
At Columbia University, Takacs served as an Earth Institute
The Earth Institute
The Earth Institute was established at Columbia University in 1995. The research institute's stated mission is to address complex issues facing the planet and its inhabitants, with particular focus on sustainable development and the needs of the world's poor...
Fellow, and is a recipient of the National Geographic Society's Research and Exploration grant. He has been featured on the National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
in several snake documentaries. Takacs has traveled to 133 countries, is an aircraft pilot, scuba diver, and wildlife photographer.