Every day is one step closer to reality

The fourth day we arrived at the observatory.

No one in the task force found any trace of the sea snake. No matter whether they were looking for it near the coast, sailing out to search underwater, or asking fishermen to pay attention, they still found nothing.

Feng Yi dived once, but he used the observation station's boat and was surrounded by employees of the observation station, so the search range was limited.

If you don't see them after searching for a few more days, you have to go to the next observation station.

Feng Yi thought, and he went to swim farther into the sea to catch one. I could smell it the day I arrived.

The people at the monitoring station may be worried about their safety and keep a close eye on everyone, not letting anyone go out to sea. They are not allowed to leave the station at night and can only move during the day.

Feng Yi thought about it and asked Xiao Jia to see where he could rent a boat, one that was sturdier and had a larger load-bearing capacity.

The suitable ship here has either been booked in advance by other members of the task force, or has other tasks.

The observation station is relatively remote, some distance away from scenic spots and tourist areas, and there are no satisfactory boats to rent nearby.

Therefore, Feng Yi thought that after renting a boat and finding a suitable weather, the two of them would go to sea without anyone from the observation station.

In the morning, Xiao Jia went to the nearest tourist area to see if he could rent a boat.

Feng Yi trotted along the coast.

I wasn’t ready to go into the water, so I didn’t change into diving equipment.

Feng Yi didn't wear sunglasses, a mask or a hat, so he didn't meet anyone on the route. The residents in this area are simple, and as long as you don't deliberately promote it, almost no one will pay attention to whether you are an Internet celebrity.

Already familiar with this area, and also understand the scope of the search chosen by various experts in the task team.

Feng Yi had his own search route, but he found that the smell of sea snakes in the nearshore area was so light that it almost disappeared. I don’t know if there were too many people searching in the water recently, or for other reasons, there were no sea snakes nearby.

After finishing the route, Feng Yi turned around and headed to the nearby streets to look for food. There are slightly more people in the small streets. Wear plain glasses, find a small restaurant or stall, eat some local specialties, and listen to the gossip of the residents in this area.

Experts came to look for sea snakes, and many local residents knew about it. However, some people don't think there are really sea snakes here. They haven't seen them in many years. Even if there are, they are difficult to encounter on the shore. Fishermen say there are sea snakes, but there are no pictures or facts. Maybe they are mistaken and mistake the eels for sea snakes.

Feng Yi listened to their discussion and found that most of them were afraid of sea snakes.

During the period of abnormal climate, semi-aquatic sea snakes appeared frequently for a period of time. People in this area were bitten by sea snakes and could not be saved.

Regardless of seasonal and climatic factors, sea snakes are not as aggressive as land snakes and will not actively attack humans. However, most people pay more attention to the second half of the sentence "with a docile temperament and a high mortality rate due to poisoning."

Feng Yi carried two packing boxes and walked back along the coast while thinking about the sea snake.

This mission is mainly to find sea snakes and record some data.

The sea snakes after the period of abnormal climate may have undergone certain mutations. Some unknown active substances have been added to the venom, making the toxicity more complex. There will also be some differences in different regions.

Due to the small fluctuations in the climate this year, many people are worried that the frequency of semi-aquatic sea snakes will increase, so they need to prepare in advance.

Without antivenom, it would be very difficult to treat divers or fishermen bitten.

Sampling, venom extraction, data analysis, serum preparation, formulating the latest sea snake bite treatment plan, etc. all had to be carried out, but Feng Yi only participated in the task of catching snakes.

Compared with land snakes, the research on sea snake venom is more limited. There are few researchers and limited resources, making it difficult to breed artificially. Another reason is that sea snakes do not excrete a large amount of poison and the venom proteins are easily inactivated. Research is expensive.

Like those terrestrial snakes with high venom, when extracting venom, the fangs are nailed in and the venom is released, just like squeezing juice.

As for the venom of sea snakes, their venom glands and fangs are not large, and the amount of poison they produce is small. In the past, many people would use the method of peeling off the venom glands after killing them. However, due to the current regulatory environment and continuous technological innovation, there are new live harvesting methods for sea snakes.

What Feng Yi was thinking about returned to the observation station. As soon as he entered the station gate, a voice from the side came:

"Are you... Feng Yi?"

Feng Yi looked over and saw a young man standing not far away. He was probably not a permanent employee of the observatory. He also had a strong smell of sea snakes on his body.

"Who are you?"

The young man strode forward and said, "Hello, my surname is Cui. I'm a student of stationmaster Yan. Just call me Xiao Cui. I study flat-chinned sea snakes and don't work at the observation station. I'm here today to help deliver antivenom."

The flat-chinned sea snake and the green-ringed sea snake are the dominant species in China. People who do research on sea snakes will have to deal with these two species a lot.

"Hello." Feng Yi stretched out his hand to shake his hand and asked, "Is the serum only able to resist the venom of the flat-chin sea snake?"

"Well, there won't be too much serum stored here. There will be reserves in large hospitals nearby."

Xiao Cui was not a fan of Feng Yi, but after learning that Feng Yi was coming here, he specially took over the task of delivering the serum.

In the circle, Feng Yi is still famous for his ability to catch snakes.

"Did you gain anything today?" Xiao Cui asked.

"No."

Xiao Cui looked slightly disappointed, "I heard Zuo Di say, are you sure there are sea snakes here?"

"It must have existed before, but I don't know if it exists now." Feng Yi said.

It was impossible to tell others about his own plans and arrangements. Feng Yi changed the subject and asked: "Does the observation station usually store anti-venom serum?"

"It depends on the situation. After all, there are few people here. If you are bitten, you can be sent directly to a nearby large hospital. It is not far from here. The road conditions are okay and you will be there soon. Although the venom of sea snakes is very scary, But its displacement is small, so generally speaking, as long as it is sent to the hospital in time and it is not a rare sea snake, there will be no big problem."

As Xiao Cui stretched out his hand, "I was bitten when I was a child. I went fishing with my friends and met a small green ring by chance."

Speaking of this, a flash of pride flashed across Xiao Cui's face.

Feng Yi: "..."

It has to be said that there are really not many people who have been bitten by snakes and have not suffered psychological consequences, and who continue to study sea snakes after working.

Xiao Cui continued to share: "The bite mark is not obvious because the teeth are small after all. There is no obvious pain, no obvious redness, swelling and ulceration, just the feeling of being stabbed. If you don't pay special attention, , it’s easy to ignore it. Fortunately, the location where the fish was collected was not too far from the hospital at that time.”

Neurotoxins are an important lethal component in most sea snake venoms. If you don't pay attention at the time, after the "incubation period", by the time you feel symptoms, it will be too late.

Feng Yi was curious: "You were bitten by the Green Ring Sea Snake, why are you studying the Flat-chinned Sea Snake now?"

"The venom components of the flat-chinned sea snake are more diverse, and the green-ringed sea snake is sometimes studied. For example, when studying the venom composition and toxicity characteristics of these two dominant species, comparative analysis is performed at the transcriptome and proteome levels. Purpose It’s all about developing targeted antivenom.”

Xiao Cui didn't want to elaborate on the theory. He knew that Feng Yi didn't understand this aspect.

"Have you ever been bitten by a snake?" Xiao Cui asked.

"Been nailed by poisonous fangs." Feng Yi said.

Xiao Cui nodded, "The masters are all bitten."

"……Um."

Feng Yi's heart: As long as I don't tell, no one will know that I have been bitten by my own fangs, more than once!

"Those of you who are more familiar with snakes will pay attention to them when they encounter them. Some fishermen or children who come here to play do not know much about sea snakes. If they are bitten, they will not know if they are bitten, or they will not pay attention to them. It is quite dangerous. If you are lucky, No, when you encounter extreme individuals or mutated individuals, even with anti-venom serum, it is quite dangerous. Small differences in the components of snake venom may cause varying degrees of poisoning reactions, and the anti-venom effect of the original serum will be reduced."

Anti-venom is indeed a troublesome thing.

Anti-bungagar, anti-cobra, anti-viper, and anti-pentapod serums cannot exert anti-venom effects in the face of sea snake venom, and will have adverse reactions even if used for treatment.

"If there are mutant individuals or unusual species of snakes in the sea, then we must prepare separate targeted serum or research new treatment options, otherwise the bitten person will have to wait to die."

Thinking of the ongoing research in the Ancestral Laboratory, Feng Yi said: "Perhaps, when broad-spectrum antivenom drugs are available, we can solve some of the problems in special circumstances."

"Really?!" Xiao Cui looked shocked.

"Um!"

"I do not believe!"

"..."

"I can't imagine what kind of antigen would be used to prepare antivenom that would have full immune coverage!"

Feng Yi: "Uh... maybe it's not the serum form you're familiar with but some kind of drug? I don't know the specifics, I just heard what others said."

Xiao Cui frowned and thought for a moment, then shook his head: "As far as I know, antivenom is currently the most effective way to treat snake bites! However, antivenom is costly, takes a long time, and has a limited scope of application. Even small hospitals in small places do not have it in stock. . If there really is such a magic medicine that can solve most poisonous snake bites, it can save many people! However, even if such a medicine is available in the future, it will definitely not be cheap and ordinary people cannot afford it. "

Feng Yi thought that the next time he contacted the Ancestor Factory, he would ask about the price.

The newly prepared anti-venom serum has been delivered. Xiao Cui still has his own work tasks and cannot stay here to chat with Feng Yi.

"Broad-spectrum anti-venom drugs are still far away from us, so it's useless to think about it. In short, we still use serum. The anti-venom I came here to deliver today is all newly made.

"Don't have any psychological burden, thinking that you will be bitten or something. This thing is purely just in case. Moreover, fishermen or other local residents are more likely to be bitten than you. After all, you are all experts. This He is good at everything and knows how to deal with snakes if he finds them, so the chance of getting caught is not high..."

Xiao Cui was walking out when suddenly someone rushed into the station like a gust of wind: "Quick, quick, quick! Where is the antivenom? Professor Shen was bitten by a sea snake!"

Xiao Cui: "..."

Feng Yi looked at him.

"The odds are slim."

Unknowingly, my schedule has gone awry again, I need to change it!

Try to update before 10pm tonight!