Question: Why do you use frogs for your work

Hayley Free answered on 9 Jul 2025:

When looking for this kind of viral DNA, the majority of the research has been in mammals. Frogs and toads have been very understudied in this regard, and we think that by looking at this group of animals we can learn even more about the viral DNA. We know that viruses can undergo transmission between species, and we know that this viral DNA has had important roles in the evolution of mammals, and so finding out even more about it can only help us! We also think that it may have a role in disease, and as amphibians (including frogs and toads) are undergoing huge population declines across the world, understanding more about their health is very important.