FT Rethink

The scorpion-milking robot: extracting the poison that cures

Since ancient Rome animal poisons have been used to heal rather than harm the human body. Scorpion venom can be used to help detect and cure diseases, but milking scorpions by hand is a time-consuming and dangerous process. Now scientists in Morocco are using robots to harvest the venom, which, at $8,000 per gram, is probably the most expensive liquid in the world.

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FT Rethink series focuses on the people, technology, strategies and systems moving us from an economy that is wasteful, idle, lopsided and dirty towards one that is circular, lean, inclusive and clean. The channel alternates between independent reporting from FT journalists and business perspectives from Lombard Odier