**1. Introduction**

"Around 1896, a modest physician that used to practice medicine in Botucatu became notorious due to his strange fascination with snakes and their venoms. It was Dr Vital Brazil that, from the tranquility of the countryside, was taking the initial steps on the brilliant research that would make him famous not only in Brazil but also all over the educated world". This free translation of the beginning of the first paragraph (Figure 1C) of the book "Memória Histórica do Instituto Butantan" (Figure 1A; Historic memory of Butantan Institute, in free translation) written by Dr Vital Brazil himself (Figure 1B) [1] refers to published news in 1914 reporting the inauguration of 'new facilities' in the Institute (Figure 1C).

Over one hundred years after the news reported above, some of the authors of this review have worked, conducted research, performed experiments, and published papers in this exact same building. Since then, a lot has changed in the Institute, including its slogan, but not the building (Figure 2). Our slogan is now "at the service of life", a humbler commitment to the institutional mission, and the research laboratories have been

**Citation:** Coelho, G.R.; da Silva, D.L.; Beraldo-Neto, E.; Vigerelli, H.; de Oliveira, L.A.; Sciani, J.M.; Pimenta, D.C. Neglected Venomous Animals and Toxins: Underrated Biotechnological Tools in Drug Development. *Toxins* **2021**, *13*, 851. https://doi.org/10.3390/ toxins13120851

Received: 16 October 2021 Accepted: 25 November 2021 Published: 29 November 2021

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decommissioned from this building, which is currently undergoing restoration and will be dedicated to cultural activities only.

**Figure 1.** Selected reproductions of (**A**) the book written by Vital Brazil in 1941. This and other classic books are available at https://bibliotecadigital.butantan.gov.br/, accessed on 19 November 2021. Please note the institute logo in (**B**). It is the depiction of the main-laboratory building, underneath a microscope, bearing the motto "peritas super omnia", meaning "expert in everything" in Latin. (**C**) News advertising the inauguration of new facilities at the Institute, in 1914.

**Figure 2.** (**A**) A recent photograph of the main-laboratory building, in a similar framing as depicted in Figure 1. (**B**) Current Institute logotype, bearing the slogan 'A serviço da vida' (at the service of life, in free translation).
