Nerdy Science Blog

Professor Reid Harris’s team at James Madison University found that bacteria could solved the devastation of amphibian population caused by disease-causing fungus.

The team used bacteria (Janthinobacterium lividum) which could be found on frogs’ body to kill chytrid fungus.  Bacteria showed effectiveness in killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and the yellow-legged frogs used for experiments also survived after chytrid infection.  Although such bacteria can be found on amphibians, but the amount is not enough to protect them from fungus infection.  This finding can help to increase the amphibian population.

(news)