Hannah Devlin Science Correspondent

Time-lapse footage reveals cardiac cells in a mouse embryo begin to organise themselves during early development

The moment a heart begins to form has been captured in extraordinary time-lapse images for the first time.

The footage reveals cardiac cells in a mouse embryo begin to spontaneously organise themselves into a heart-like shape early in development. Scientists say the technique could provide new insights into congenital heart defects, which affect nearly one in 100 babies.

Blood from man bitten hundreds of times by deadly species is used to create most broadly protective antivenom yet

He has self-administered more than 850 doses of venom from cobras, mambas, rattlesnakes and other deadly species in pursuit of a singular quest: to develop immunity to snake bites in the hope of helping scientists create a universal antivenom.

Now the extreme 18-year experiment by Tim Friede, a former truck mechanic from Wisconsin, appears to have paid off. Scientists have used antibodies from his blood to create the most broadly protective antivenom to date, which could revolutionise the treatment of snake bites.