Basically, a single drop of this venom (from a Russell’s viper) is dripped onto a petri dish of blood, and in seconds the blood clots into a thick chunk of solid matter.

It may sound scary, but snake venom can be very useful to humans.  […] Snake venom contains a vast number of toxins that target proteins in platelets,” Yonchol Shin, an associate professor at Kogakuin University who specializes in snake toxins told ScienceDaily. “Some of those toxins prevent platelets from clotting, which can lead to profuse bleeding in snake bite victims. Others, like the one we’ve focused this research on, potently activate platelets, which results in blood clots. Identification of the molecular targets of many of these toxins has made an enormous contribution to our understanding of platelet activation and related diseases. [read more]