How do you make a white frog? VBI’s African Clawed Frog (Xenopus) colony and its applications.

How do you make a white frog? VBI’s African Clawed Frog (Xenopus) colony and its applications.

Presenters: Dr. Pawel Michalak, Graciela Santopietro, Catherine Galecki, Brittany Ralph
Representing: Virginia Bioinformatics Institute

Most differences between organisms can be traced back to changes in DNA, the ultimate hereditary material. Albinism, a rare variety characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, is a good example. Human albinos have very pale skin and are very sensitive to sun exposure. There are albino animals as well, including frogs, and it turns out that albinism in all species results from similar DNA defects in genes responsible for dark pigmentation. Participants will have the opportunity to watch live albino and “normal” frogs and learn how a single change in DNA leads to a dysfunctional protein and how this in turn results in lack of pigmentation and white skin color. They will also learn about African Clawed Frog (Xenopus) in general and their significance in research. Virginia Bioinformatics Institute is proud to house a colony of more than 100 Xenopus frogs from multiple species and verities.