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You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.

Hey, shortwavers, Emily Kwong here.

Today we're going to focus on an emerging field that could help the natural world, but is also a little controversial.

Yes, controversial because it gets at an almost philosophical question, Emily, about what our role should be in the natural world.

Science correspondent Nate Rod, ever the philosopher?

I'm a pretty poor excuse for a philosopher. But, you know, I think the easiest way to explain this technology that we're going to be talking about is to start with an effort that's going on to save something we all know and love.

Frogs.

Frogs are little wet things that run around in the mud.

They should be absolutely just covered in infections at all times.

And the reason they're not is they produce antibiotics.

This is Anthony Waddle, a researcher at McCory University in Australia.

It's just, Kitrid is too good. The Kitrid fungus, which is like this horrendous and deadly

skin disease affecting amphibians that, you know, the antibiotics they have often can't fix.

And this disease is now found on every continent except Antarctica.

And it's considered the worst pandemic ever, worst invasive species ever in terms of biodiversity

loss.

Anthony has been focused on protecting frog populations from Kittred pretty much his entire scientific

career.

And he started with the type of desert frog that lived near his hometown, Las Vegas.

That work was like classic conservation,

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