Researchers Switch Off Gene to Switch On Ultraviolet in Butterfly Wings

In a study led by Arnaud Martin, assistant professor of biology, a team of researchers at the George Washington University has identified a gene that determines whether ultraviolet iridescence shows up in the wings of butterflies. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team showed that removing the gene in butterflies whose wings lack UV coloration leads to bright patches of UV iridescence in their wings.