SBIR-STTR Award

The work proposed here is to improve the ability of the research community to obtain amphibians to use as experimental material. The following amphibians are to be developed: 1) The bullfrog, Rana catesbiana, will be collected during hibernation and efforts will be made to improve health and survival rates during storage; 2) The Mexican axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, will have spawning seasons extended into August and September and wild-type, albino, white, melanoid, and inbred strains will be offered once sufficient breeding stock has been established; 3) The African clawed-frog, Xenopus laevis, the Kenyan clawed-frog, X. borealis, the Spanish ribbed-newt, Pleurodeles waltii, the African bullfrog, R. adspersus, and the horned-frog, Ceratophrys ornata, will be built into colonies of sufficient size to permit distribution; 4) Pressure-induced triploid axolotls, Spanish ribbed-nexts, and bullfrogs will be produced; 5) The African bullfrog and horned frog will be studied to establish a developmental database; 6) Other amphibians such as additional Xenopus species not noted above are to be obtained and evaluated as additional breeding colonies. By building this colony of breeding stock, we intend to establish ourselves as a resource for the research community. Also, software will be developed which consists of Resource Management, Cost Analysis, and Research Data Analysis programs. We will continue to collaborate with investigators on all levels of research regarding the species we deal with. As our goals are reached, we will demonstrate the commercial feasibility of amphibian culture

The work proposed here is to improve the ability of the research community to obtain amphibians to use as experimental material. The following amphibians are to be developed: 1) The bullfrog, Rana catesbiana, will be collected during hibernation and efforts will be made to improve health and survival rates during storage; 2) The Mexican axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, will have spawning seasons extended into August and September and wild-type, albino, white, melanoid, and inbred strains will be offered once sufficient breeding stock has been established; 3) The African clawed-frog, Xenopus laevis, the Kenyan clawed-frog, X. borealis, the Spanish ribbed-newt, Pleurodeles waltii, the African bullfrog, R. adspersus, and the horned-frog, Ceratophrys ornata, will be built into colonies of sufficient size to permit distribution; 4) Pressure-induced triploid axolotls, Spanish ribbed-nexts, and bullfrogs will be produced; 5) The African bullfrog and horned frog will be studied to establish a developmental database; 6) Other amphibians such as additional Xenopus species not noted above are to be obtained and evaluated as additional breeding colonies. By building this colony of breeding stock, we intend to establish ourselves as a resource for the research community. Also, software will be developed which consists of Resource Management, Cost Analysis, and Research Data Analysis programs. We will continue to collaborate with investigators on all levels of research regarding the species we deal with. As our goals are reached, we will demonstrate the commercial feasibility of amphibian culture.

Thesaurus Terms:
Amphibians, Anurans, Amphibians, Anurans, Xenopus, Amphibians, Urodeles, Animal Colonies, Facilities, Resources, Water Environment, Aquatic Biology, Water Environment, Aquatic Organisms, Fresh Water Biology, Systematic, Genetic Strains, Computer Analysis, Growth And Development, Information Systems (Incl Banks And Centers), computer programming