The Anuran Cross-Species Molecular Sensors invention (U.S. patent No. 9,448,227) provides DNA primer sequences and a high-throughput assay for use in environmental toxicology or ecological assessment studies to test for contaminants such as perchlorate and other potential thyroid-disrupting chemicals. The DNA primer sequences use anuran species  – frogs and toads – as model organisms, thereby greatly improving predictivity and applicability to both laboratory testing and field applications. This technology was developed by NAU Biological Sciences Professor Catherine Propper and associate professor Stephen Beckstrom-Sternberg.