"A glowing green logo drawn by scientists on the wing of a genetically altered butterfly could herald the day that the insects are adorned with adverts and slogans. A team at the University at Buffalo that developed the world's first genetically modified butterfly has now adapted the work to create the fluorescent marking on the wings of the insect to demonstrate an innovative tool that will make it easier to find out what genes do, in this case those that play a role in making the patterns on wings, from stripes to eye spots."


After reading this at Telegraph, I imagined something like the sporty butterfly picture above: Papilio Nike-Ulysses. But the original article's abstract reads much more dryly: "Precise temporal and spatial regulation of transgene expression is a critical tool to investigate gene function in developing organisms."


butterfly logo science


Via Adverlab, thanks to Tinkebell for the tip. Related posts: Withus Oragainstus, Wild Style.

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20 comments

  • screwing around with creation

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  • Ana

    Nike lepidoptera-check (pun intended) Addidas Coleoptera-still looking With this comes new pinning techniques, and adds to many completed collections.

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  • alterations usually happen after birth - this seems almost more natural

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  • mk

    This has to be too expensive to be practical

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  • jesus. i don't even know what to say. frightening.

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  • We're not talking bio-art here Stuart. We're talking marketing.

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  • Already done - too late...... See Marta De Menenze's work http://www.martademenezes.com/ http://www.symbiotica.uwa.edu.au

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  • I don't think this is a bright idea. i think it is so damn stupid. why would all of u think that having brand nature is great? didn't u think of the living things that we are going to torture? put urself in their shoes. u will definitely hate it. nature means pure and original. having it brand would make it look fake and man made.

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  • i think its wiked and wow

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  • At some point we all will be held accountable for what we do with what we've been given. I'm curious as to how this will stand the test of time. Right now it's not looking too good for you. The first time I see a butterfly with a Starbuck's logo, I'm hunting you down. We'll have a little chat. It's obvious you want to know how people view your work. I'd love to share a few more "subtle" points with you. The scope of our "intelligence" is growing rather juvenile.

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  • I agree with Ray. This is just plain sick. In the bad way. Are we humans so meglomanic that we can't resist putting our "stamp" on what is most natural in this world? Morons! All of you who actually support this new, shameful pollution are utter morons! How can you regard something like this an feel anything but deep disgust? I'm nauseated.

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  • oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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  • dis logo fingy iz bangin itz live i luv it

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  • good work!!!! nike rules

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  • Ray

    advertisement is pollutant... nature is what we need to stay out of branded world "branded nature" kills "real nature" this project has good technical knowledge with bad conceptual application

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  • Do we really want to brand nature? I'm all for advances in the way we can use nature and discovering how it all works. But to think that the next Elephant I see might have "Mc Donalds" written on it just seems sad.

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  • i love all them i hope you can send them to me so i can show my sister \\ love always samantha farley

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  • socorro!!!!!

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  • its wicked!!!!! keep it up!!

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  • I love it!

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