Research in our lab involves microbial ecology of amphibian skin, especially in the context of bacterial interactions with the lethal skin fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, which is causing many amphibian populations to decline or go extinct.

Interested in working in the Harris Lab?  I am always looking for highly motivated undergraduate and master’s students.  If you are interested in microbial ecology and frogs and salamanders and how to help protect them from a lethal skin fungus, please contact me by email.

News:

We propose to isolate beneficial bacterial probiotics to protect frogs in Madagascar from Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis if and when it arrives:

frogprobiotics.org

amphibians.org/ourwork/research/frogprobiotics

We are participating in the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.

Our lab is included in the documentary “Mission Critical:  Amphibian Rescue” on the Smithsonian Channel.  Watch the trailer and check for air times here.

Our lab is included in The Vanishing Frog documentary on Animal Planet.

Below are links to stories about our work in the science press:

1. •  American Scientist 
   

2. •  BBC web page
   

3. •  With Good Reason public radio program
   

4. •  MicrobeWorld radio
   

5. •  News article in Nature.com (may need to be on campus to view)
   

6. •  News article in National Geographic News
   

7. •  News articles in New Scientist 2007, update: 2009
   

8. •  JMU web publication
   

9. •  JMU Madison Scholar article
   

10. •  National Geographic magazine
    

11. •  Smithsonian Zoogoer magazine
    

12. •  The Scientist
    

13. •  Discover magazine
    

14. •  Scientific American (online)
    

15. •  WAMU
    

16. •  New York Times