[Science Daily] Bacteria Show Promise In Fending Off Global Amphibian Killer

Abrahm

Abrahm

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First in a petri dish and now on live salamanders, probiotic bacteria seem to repel a deadly fungus being blamed for worldwide amphibian deaths and even extinctions. Though the research is in its early stages, scientists are encouraged by results that could lead the way to helping threatened species like mountain yellow-legged frogs of the Sierra Nevada mountains of southern California.

...

Experiments have shown that Pedobacter cryoconitis, bacteria found naturally on the skin of red-backed salamanders, wards off the deadly chytridiomycosis fungus. In late 2004, Australian researchers cited chytridiomycosis as one of the main factors imperiling up to one third of the world's amphibian populations.
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Full story here.

Really interesting story that I saw Wes didn't post yet even though it is from May :p

My supervisor was an attendee at the general meeting where they presented their preliminary data so I am hoping to be able to provide the abstract for this also. I don't believe that the actual study has been published yet but I'd love to be proven wrong.
 
While this could be great, I'm wondering how compatible this bacteria could be with other species of amphibians. I also wonder if there are other amphians in it's environment that could be harboring the bacteria through contact. Great find magustrate, I hope this spurs some thought(and hope) in the subject.
 
magustrate said:
Full story here.

Really interesting story that I saw Wes didn't post yet even though it is from May :p

My supervisor was an attendee at the general meeting where they presented their preliminary data so I am hoping to be able to provide the abstract for this also. I don't believe that the actual study has been published yet but I'd love to be proven wrong.
Click to expand...

Hi,

You may well have seen this, but in case you're not aware of it, there is an article connected with thsi subject published (Woodhams et al (2007) Symbiotic bacteria contribute to innate immune defenses of the threatened mountain yellow-legged frog, Rana muscosa in Biological Conservation 138 p 390-398), although this appears to be a different group working in the US. This is available on Science Direct ( http://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...serid=10&md5=383d696e040f6d84f0089e319b7a431a


Hope this helps
 
That is quite interesting, thanks Abraham and Bruce!
 
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