Tim Friede, a Wisconsin man, invited over 200 bites from deadly snakes between 2000 and 2018 to build venom immunity, injecting himself with venom over 650 times. His unusual quest for mithridatism, the practice of self-immunization against poison, recently caught scientific attention after a study found antibodies in his blood could protect against a variety of snake venoms. “I know what it feels like to die from snakebite,” says Friede, who once woke from a coma after testing his theory in his basement.

Researchers, inspired by Friede’s relentless self-experimentation and hyper-immunity, now hope his unique antibodies might underpin a universal antivenom—something current treatments lack for the world’s 600 venomous species. A recent Cell journal study suggests his blood could be key, all thanks to a former truck mechanic’s bizarre, painful mission to “be more careful next time”—even after a near-fatal coma in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.

Antivenom production has barely changed in 125 years, but Friede’s blood now shows promise for a universal antivenom—thanks to 200+ snakebites and 650 venom injections.