Butterfly wings may be quite thin, but they are also durable and strong. This strength comes from the material that makes up the wings: chitin (pronounced kite-in). Chitin is a kind of building ...

The wings of a normal and CRISPR-edited Sara Longwing butterfly show how disabling a single gene can change the patterns Richard Wallbank / Smithsonian Institution and University of Cambridge There ...

Counterfeiting is a crime as old as money itself. It causes a reduction in the value of real money and can add to company losses, as they are not reimbursed for counterfeits. In 1996 Australia became ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Unlike many vibrant insects, who rely on pigment alone for their ...

Can structures that give butterfly winds their iridescent sheen be easily harnessed to improve cancer diagnosis? New research reported in Advanced Materials suggests that they can. When a biopsy, or ...

There is nothing quite like the wing of a moth or butterfly. They are different from other insect wings. A butterfly’s wing is like a jet and a paper airplane mashed together, then covered with tiny ...

Butterfly wings cannot be very far behind geckos' toes so far as sources of inspiration for biomimicry research goes. Various properties of the wings of lepidopterans have triggered research into ...

The fine powder on butterfly wings is actually microscopic scales, crucial for their survival. These scales create vibrant colors for camouflage and warning, aid in flight efficiency by controlling ...