Lil Bub , the wildly democratic net cat , is know for her unique kisser . With pop out eyes , want of tooth , and extra digits , the cat is adorable — but mysteriously different from the sleep of her metal money . scientist Daniel M. Ibrahim , Uschi Symmons , and Darío G Lupiáñez want to translate why Bub is different by sequence her genome .
On April 15 , a crowdfunding project called “ The LilBubome ” launched onExperiment.com . The destination is to identify sport in the adorable cat ’s DNA so as to excuse her visual aspect . Using just a blood sample distribution , the project creators hope to find evidence in the DNA that will narrate them if Lil Bub ’s traits are all because of one disease or multiple diseases .
Using Lil Bub ’s popularity , the great unwashed unfamiliar with the science will hopefully get interested . Sequencing the cat ’s genome using country - of - the - art technology could work as an excellent educational tool ; the researchers prognosticate to document the process closely and to thoroughly excuse everything they ’re doing .
“ With the LilBubome we trust to draw a unspecific audience , ” Symmons pen onhis blog , “ people who might not care about science and genetics , but who do care about Lil Bub and what makes her so special . ”
Hopefully this experiment will gain traction and afford a conversation about the new technical breakthroughs in deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing . On top of this , learning more about a rarified condition can help improve medicines and treatments for others .
“ Every single computed tomography or somebody , for whom we have a genetic diagnosis with a causative mutation and a successful treatment , is like an case-by-case puzzle piece . In the long political campaign , we can start set these puzzler pieces together for a bigger , more detailed photograph . This mode , sequence the genome of one niggling cat can help resolve a big problem in diagnosis and health care , ” Symmonssaid .
you’re able to read more , and back the undertaking , here .
