But several biologists said they believed that the laboratory technique used to birth it would soon be applied to other strains of bacteria with commercial potential.

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"You get your average engineering types but it's also nice to see the biologists and the artists coming in here, " Bennett said.

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"You are not hearing what you were before, " said Alberto Lopez, part of a husband-and-wife team of biologists trying to gauge the health of frogs on the island.

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