Butantan Institute

Hello! We are the Butantan Institute, or Instituto Butantan as we are called in Portuguese. Our home is in the big city of São Paulo, Brazil, where we operate as a world-famous biomedical research center. Our most important job is to protect people’s health. We do this by researching, developing, and producing special medicines that keep communities safe. The two main types of medicines we make are vaccines, which prevent you from getting sick, and antivenoms. Antivenoms are crucial for treating people who have been bitten or stung by venomous animals like snakes, spiders, and scorpions.

Our story began over a century ago. We were officially founded on February 23rd, 1901, by a brilliant Brazilian scientist named Vital Brazil. At that time, the city was facing a serious health crisis: an outbreak of bubonic plague. There was an urgent need for a medicine, called a serum, to fight this dangerous disease. We were created specifically to produce this serum and help save lives. From our very first day, our mission has been to use science to solve public health problems and help people live healthier lives. This founding purpose continues to guide all of our work.

One of our most famous jobs involves working with some of the world's most misunderstood animals. We make antivenom, and to do this, we need venom. We have a special facility called a serpentarium where we safely care for thousands of snakes, spiders, and scorpions. Our expert team knows how to handle these creatures carefully to collect tiny, harmless amounts of their venom. This collected venom is the key ingredient we use to create antivenom. When someone is bitten by a venomous snake or stung by a scorpion, this medicine can be a lifesaver. We don't just collect venom; we also study the animals themselves. This research helps us better understand their biology and how their venom works, which allows us to create even more effective treatments.

Beyond our work with antivenoms, we are also one of the largest producers of vaccines in all of Brazil. Vaccines are amazing tools for public health. They work by teaching your body’s immune system how to recognize and fight off germs, which helps prevent you from getting sick in the first place. We are responsible for making many of the vaccines that people in Brazil receive, including those for the flu, diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. More recently, during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, we took on the major challenge of producing a vaccine called CoronaVac. Our efforts helped provide millions of doses to protect people across the country during a very difficult time.

Our work isn’t just done inside a laboratory. We believe that sharing knowledge is just as important as discovering it. Our campus in São Paulo is not only a place for research but also a large, beautiful park that is open to everyone. We have several museums where visitors can learn about science, biology, and public health. Every year, thousands of students and their families come to visit us. They can see the snakes in our serpentarium, learn how vaccines are made, and understand the importance of scientific research. Through our educational programs, we hope to inspire the next generation of scientists and help everyone learn how to stay safe and healthy.

Today, we are still dedicated to our original mission of protecting and improving public health. We are constantly researching new diseases, looking for better ways to make medicines, and developing new vaccines to face future health challenges. We work very closely with Brazil's Ministry of Health as a key partner. By supplying the country with essential vaccines and antivenoms, we provide the tools needed to keep millions of citizens healthy. Our work, which began with a single serum, now helps protect people in Brazil and around the world. We are proud to continue the legacy that started in 1901.