Mysterious cases of white-nose syndrome plague thousands of bats each year, frosting their snouts in toxic, white fungus. But researchers are fighting back against the dark reality—with light.

A new study, published January 2 in the journal Nature Communications, shows that ultraviolet rays, the light source behind black lights and sunburns, irreparably break down the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats. The study results might provide clues for how to stop the deadly pathogen that's currently on a trajectory to decimate bat species throughout North America.

White-nose syndrome has wiped out an estimated 5.7 million bats since it was first discovered in a New York cave in 2006. The disease, caused by the fungus