#axolotl

#axolotl

The note, which features a depiction of Gorda as the model for Mexico's iconic species of salamander, went into circulation in 2021, dazzling the judges of the International Bank Notes Society, who declared it the Note of the Year. Four years later, the Bank of Mexico has released a report revealing that 12.9 million Mexicans are holding on to this note as if it were worth more than just its value of 50 pesos, or a little under $3.

"Emotionally, it stings," said Whited, associate professor in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, fighting back tears. "It feels very personal. It took me 19 years to build this axolotl colony and research program with a goal to ultimately help human lives. It couldn't have come at a worse time."