Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is an aquatic fungus that causes the disease chytridiomycosis, which is lethal for many species of amphibians. This pathogen is responsible for catastrophic amphibian declines around the world. Although amphibian conservation efforts are underway, long-term preservation and, more importantly, reintroduction of amphibians to the wild will require a better understanding of chytridiomycosis. Research on the host as well as the pathogen, is critical. A centralized "Bd bank" of global isolates will facilitate important research on topics including genetic variation, differential virulence, origin and global spread.
Please Contribute!
Isolate Bd. Collecting Bd from around the world will require a collaborative effort. We provide protocols for isolating and cryo-archiving Bd in multiple languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Korean as well as step by step tutorials with photos. We also offer a forum to assist anyone trying to isolate and cryo-archive.
Share information. As the first step in this project we are currently collecting information on existing isolates. At this point we are not yet accepting isolates but would greatly appreciate your information. Please fill out the short e-submission form to add to the global isolate database.
