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There are close to 6,000 frogs in the National Xenopus Resource Center at �������� in Woods Hole.

The facility, funded by the National Institutes of Health, studies the freshwater African clawed frog and the western clawed frog, Xenopus laevis�����Ի���Xenopus tropicalis, respectively. Shelves of plastic tanks containing the frogs line the walls. A separate room serves as a nursery for tadpoles as they develop a strong foothold toward adult life.

A number of these frogs are custom-designed.

Researchers have altered their DNA to answer specific scientific questions, such as which genes give them their green spotted coloring. Making these changes in the frog also can serve as a model for human diseases, such as kidney disease or diabetes. Scientists study these frogs to learn about the genetic causes of these diseases.

A technique called CRISPR-Cas 9 allows scientists to make a targeted mutation in the frog’s DNA, creating about 50 different strains which are sent worldwide to other scientists for research. 

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