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b'We all get defensive sometimes.\\xa0For some animals, evolution has provided a highly effective mechanism for saying \\u201cback off!\\u201d.\\xa0A puncture by a pair of venom-filled fangs gets the point across nicely.\\xa0\\nBut one animal\\u2019s poison may be another\\u2019s cure.\\xa0Some dangerous critters churn out compounds that can be synthesized into life-saving drugs.\\nMeet the spiny, fanged, and oozing creatures who could help defend us against such illnesses as hypertension and kidney disease.\\xa0\\nPlus, the King of Pain - a scientist who has been stung by more than 80 species of insects in his pursuit of a better understanding of venom\\u2019s biochemistry.\\xa0Find out which winged stinger scored the highest on his pain index.\\xa0\\xa0\\nAnd, why the drug we need most may come from the quietest members of the biosphere: turning to plants for a new generation of antibiotics.\\xa0\\nGuests:\\n\\n\\nOwen Maercks\\xa0\\u2013 Co-owner, East Bay Vivarium, Berkeley, California\\xa0\\n\\n\\nJustin Schmidt\\xa0\\u2013 Entomologist, University of Arizona, author of \\u201cThe Sting of the Wild: The Story of the Man Who Got Stung for Science\\u201d\\n\\n\\n\\nChristie Wilcox\\xa0\\u2013\\xa0author of \\u201cVenomous: How Earth\\u2019s Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry\\u201d\\xa0\\n\\n\\nCassandra Quave\\xa0\\u2013\\xa0Ethnobotanist, assistant professor of dermatology, herbarium curator, Emory University\\xa0\\n\\n\\xa0\\nOriginally aired October 3, 2016\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'