Envision Science Animation: Chytridiomycosis — The Fungal Disease Devastating Amphibians

This animated video explains the research into chytridiomycosis, a devastating fungal disease that attacks the skin of amphibians and has already driven 90 species to extinction, with nearly 500 more in decline.

Alberto Hernandez Orta, a researcher at the Bangor University as part of the Envision PhD programme, is investigating whether bacteria naturally occurring on amphibian skin can protect against the deadly fungus — and whether these microbes could form the basis of probiotic treatments to help amphibian populations survive.

animation Type

Research and Science Communication

Author: Mair Perkins

Clients

Envision Bangor University

Credits & Associates

  • Script written by Alberto Hernandez Orta and Mair Perkins
  • Direction by Alberto Hernandez Orta
  • Style and storyboard design by Mair Perkins
  • Illustration by Mair Perkins
  • Animation by Mair Perkins
  • Voiceover sourced and edited by Ben Haynes
  • Music from Adobe Stock

Share this

This animation was commissioned to communicate Alberto's research to a broad audience, making the science of amphibian disease, skin microbiomes, and antifungal biology accessible without requiring prior knowledge of ecology or microbiology. It is intended for use in public engagement, educational, and conference settings.

This is one of a series of animations produced for Envision PhD researchers. Envision runs a competition in which early-career researchers submit a brief for an animated film; selected winners have their research brought to life through professional animation

Script & style concept

We collaborated with Alberto to write a 2.5 minute script for the animation based on the competition entry that explained his research and pitched the storyline concept. A style concept was created using bright colours, inspired by frogs and courful outline strokes with varied width to give an idea of how the animation would look.

Style concept

Sketched storyboards

A storyboard was sketched out based on the script in Photoshop then uploaded to Boords. The storyboard images were then put into a video sequence with a draft voiceover recording so we could test the timings and ensure the script and images made sense when played together.

At this point we made some script and image revisions before moving to the next stage.

Sketched storyboards

Illustrated storyboards

Once the sketched storyboards were signed off, the storyboards were illustrated in the style design.

The illustrations were created using Adobe Illustrator.

Some revisions were made before moving onto the next production phase.

Illustrated storyboard

Animation

The animation phase started by preparing all the illustrations for animation. This involved separating artwork out onto layers and naming them.

After Effects' 3D tools were used to give depth to scenes along with camera lens blur effects.

The illustrated storyboard files were imported into Adobe After Effects then animated.

A professional voice over artist recorded the script then the audio track was mixed and edited so it could be animated in time to.

Animation production in After Effects

Research Insights

Diseases are spreading more rapidly across the globe, often linked to human activities including deforestation, climate change, and the expansion of global trade. These emerging diseases affect not only people but wildlife, with some now threatening entire ecosystems.

One of the most serious is chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which attacks the skin of amphibians. For frogs, salamanders, and toads, the skin is essential for breathing and regulating water — when infected, it becomes damaged beyond recovery. The disease has already driven 90 amphibian species to extinction and caused population declines in nearly 500 more, making it one of the most destructive wildlife diseases ever recorded.

Yet there is reason for hope. Scientists have discovered that some bacteria living naturally on amphibian skin produce compounds that inhibit fungal growth, effectively acting as a natural defence system. Alberto's research, conducted in collaboration with researchers from Chile, Argentina, and the United Kingdom, is investigating these protective microbes in detail — focusing on the Chilean four-eyed frog as a study species.

The research combines field sampling with laboratory work to identify which bacterial genes are linked to antifungal properties and how these microbes function together as a community on the skin. The goal is to understand the skin microbiome well enough to develop probiotic treatments: interventions that could help vulnerable amphibian populations fight off infection and survive into the future.

Protecting amphibians matters beyond the species themselves. Their disappearance would remove vital links in the ecosystems that support forests, wetlands, and human livelihoods. Through international collaboration and new tools in microbiology and genomics, this research is working toward practical conservation strategies for animals facing a largely invisible pandemic.

What the client said

Science Animation: Chytridiomycosis — The Fungal Disease Devastating Amphibians

Great to work with Mair. She produced a brilliant animation based on our research and was professional and easy to work with throughout. We're really pleased with the final result and would definitely recommend her.

Carlos Alberto Hernandez Orta

Researcher

FAQs