A conference to take place in Tucson will focus on terrestrial venomous creatures.

The VIPER Institute at the University of Arizona and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum will host an international conference September 3^rd through the 7^th dubbed Venom Week 2007.

Almost 150 professionals from various fields including medical toxicology, veterinary medicine, pharmacy and anti-venom manufacturing are expected to attend the conference.

The VIPER Institute was established in September of last year. According to a news release, the institute is composed of a group of clinicians and scientists who use research from venomous animals to guide scientific discovery for practical uses.

“Research with venom is consistently progressing and expanding,” Craig Ivanyi, general curator for living collections at the Desert Museum, explains. “Staying educated with the current scientific developments actually could be a matter of life and death.”

Venom Week 2007 will take place at the Desert Museum and at the Hilton El Conquistador Resort.

In addition to the conference, the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center and the Desert Museum have organized the following community events to go along with Venom Week 2007:

-Saturday, August 25 at 11:30 a.m.: Educators from the poison center and museum will present desert critters and discuss living safely with our venomous neighbors at the Tucson Children’s Museum, located at 200 S. Sixth Avenue.

 -Saturday, September 8 at 8 a.m.: Hourly presentations will be given on snakes, spiders and scorpions from the Desert Museum. "Save A Life Saturday" will also take place, sponsored by the American Red Cross, at the Doubletree Reid Park hotel on Alvernon Way.

 -Monday, September 3 from 9:30 a.m.: The Desert Museum will host its annual birthday celebration. Visitors will be treated to cake on the entrance patio. The star of Animal Planet’s reality show “Venom ER” will be on hand to sign autographs from 10 a.m. until noon at the Ocotillo Café inside the museum.