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Frogs: A biologist’s best friend

Hearts beating. Luminescent brains. Eyes forming. The first cells of life dividing. These are just a few examples of the impressive sights students behold in the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Xenopus course. With its see-through body and fast developmental cycles, the Xenopus, or African clawed frog, offers scientists a one-of-a-kind peek into the origins and mechanics of life.

“Frogs were originally used to define developmental pathways that are important in all aspects of biology—-the signals that distinguish our head from our back, belly, and so on,” says Peter Walentek, one of the course instructors. “We are more similar to the frog than we sometimes might wish for.”

Press play to watch some of the extraordinary footage course participants have captured over the years. And see why CSHL’s Meetings & Courses Program remains a hopping hub for continuing education in developmental biology and beyond.

Read the related story: Meet Xenopus, the African clawed frog