Scientists have found unique compounds in the venom of Australian scorpions that have potential uses in pain management drugs.

Bryan Fry from the University of Queensland's school of biological sciences led a group that caught and milked 1500 Australian scorpions, including Victoria's wood scorpion, black rock scorpion and marbled scorpion.

Choose your poison: Compounds in scorpion venom found to alleviate pain could be used in future painkillers. Credit:Eivind Undheim

The researchers then established the chemical composition of each type of venom, some of which have proved unique in structure and sequence.

''Because they have been isolated in Australia for so long, their venom is very different to the venom that has been intensively studied for scorpions elsewhere in the world, making them very novel bio-resources,'' Professor Fry said.