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December 21, 2017

Secrets of butterfly wings revealed!

How do genes shape and color a butterfly's wings? George Washington University evolutionary geneticist Arnaud Martin is using CRISPR Cas9, a gene editing technique, to determine how changes in the 'painting gene' WntA result in different wing shapes and patterns in butterflies. This research furthers our understanding of how genes lead to different shapes and patterns in other living things, including humans.

Original air date: December 21, 2017

Credit: NSF\GWU


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