My name is Stephanie and I’m the co-founder of a startup called PteroTech along with Dr. Reza Sharif Naeini. Reza is a professor in the Department of Physiology at McGill University in Canada, and I’m a PhD student in his lab, where we study pain and, among other things, lionfish venom!
Over the past 3 years, we’ve started to uncover the molecular mechanisms by which lionfish venom causes so much pain, and we found a way to block the excessive pain caused by the venom… so of course we realized that this was something we have to share with the public. Our ointment (once it’s out) is an over-the-counter treatment for lionfish stings. What does that mean? Well 1) you won’t need a prescription, so that 2) you’ll be able to carry the ointment BEFORE you get stung, and 3) it will be easy to get!
Due to the absurdity of our current reality, thanks to the coronavirus, our original plan of launching our product to the masses this summer has been put on hold, with an anticipated launch in September instead. We’ve decided to take advantage of this down-time and get to know the lionfish community more and try to use your input to help us make you a better product. Your stories are an essential part of our work!
Since the virus has been greatly affecting diving shops and distributors, we decided that the easiest way for us to get our product to the people that need it most would be through our website. We’re currently assembling a “first users” list, who will have the opportunity to get our first batch of product, so sign up at the link below if you’re interested in joining the list!
We hope to share articles written by us and by community members, and bring to light interesting facts about the ever-evolving lionfish invasion to the community that cares about it the most.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! We love to talk lionfish and answer any and all questions
