With help from a common aquarium pet and a recently released online database of human genetic variation, a collaborative team of Penn State, University of Utah [and other] researchers has found what could be the most important skin color gene identified to date.

The team…found that a change in just one amino acid in one gene plays a major role in determining why people of European descent have lighter skin than people of African descent.

The find could lead to further research using the protein coded by the pigmentation gene as a target for treatment of malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, as well as to research on ways to modify skin color without damaging it by tanning or using harsh chemical lighteners.

Can we do stripes?