With a simple switch from using frog (Xenopus) eggs to salamander (Axolotl) eggs, researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Center recently determined a gene sequence called TMEM16A that encodes the calcium-activated chloride channel. Processes such as nerve function and muscle contraction are influenced by the movement of chloride ions into and out of cells. With this information new treatments may be developed to treat cystic fibrosis, bronchitis, asthma and hypertension.