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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

Today, at the Microbiology Society's Annual Conference in Liverpool, scientists will show that the foam made by Trinidadian frogs represents a new, non-toxic antibiotic delivery system that may help to prevent infections [phys.org].

While mating, Tungara frogs (Engystomops pustulosus) release a protein cocktail that they beat into a foam with their back legs. The frogs - less than 5 centimetres long - lay their eggs in these foam nests to protect them from disease, predators and environmental stresses.

Researchers from the University of Strathclyde have been analysing the frog foam, showing that it is highly stable and capable of taking up drugs before releasing them at a stable rate. The group's work reveals that the foam can release model dyes at a steady rate over a period of 72-168 hours, while foam loaded with the antibiotic vancomycin was shown to prevent in vitro growth of the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus for a period of 48 hours. The foam proteins were tested in vitro against keratinocytes, a type of skin cell, for 24 hours. These cells were still alive and viable after 24 hours of exposure, demonstrating that the foam is not toxic to human cells.

They had me at "frog foam."

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