News in Brief Health & Medicine

Frog slime protein fights off the flu

Hydrophylax bahuvistara

Slime produced by Hydrophylax bahuvistara contains a newly identified flu-fighting protein called urumin, named for a type of sword used in the region of India where the frog resides. 

Sanil George & Jessica Shartouny

By Helen Thompson

- More than 2 years ago

The next flu drug could come from frog mucus. It’s not as crazy as it sounds: For decades, scientists have searched for new antiviral drugs by mining proteins that animals produce to protect themselves from microbes.