Foam produced by tropical frogs in Trinidad could be used to treat severe burns in humans. The new research, presented at the Microbiology Society General Meeting in Liverpool in the UK, shows that the foam is highly stable and it can be loaded with drugs and applied to the skin. Scientists hope that this could be a new drug delivery system used to treat burns victims in particular. So far the team have cloned about half of the genes that make up this foam and ultimately want to develop a synthetic version in the lab. Dr. Paul Hoskisson from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland explains the work.

Photo: Foam covered Frog. Credit Dr. Paul Hoskisson