Mandë Holford

Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
Curator of Malacology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology
Mande Holford, smiling, with long dark hair and blue and white patterned tops, in front of dark background
Biological Laboratories, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-3135
mholford@fas.harvard.edu
Holford Lab Website

Faculty Support: Christian Flynn

The Holford lab studies venoms and venomous animals as agents of molecular change and medicinal innovations. Specifically, I am interested in how venoms direct the evolution of organisms and how they can improve human lives. My research demonstrates the scientific path from mollusks to medicine, examining how venoms evolved over time in marine mollusks (snails, squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish), and how we can use this evolutionary knowledge as a roadmap for discovering and characterizing peptide natural products with therapeutic potential. I am particularly interested in using venoms to study rapidly evolving genes and to develop invertebrate venom gland model systems that can be genetically manipulated to advance discoveries in gene expression and physiological function. My work combines scientific research, education and diplomacy to understand the extraordinary marine biodiversity on our planet and transform this knowledge for the benefit of human and planetary health. I co-founded Killer Snails, LLC, an award winning EdTech company that uses tabletop, digital, and XR games about nature as a conduit to advance scientific learning in K-12 classrooms.

Recent Publications