The genome can be described as the complete set of a living being’s DNA. As a result, it contains not just the information needed to build it but also the information needed to maintain it. Due to this, sequencing the genome of a species can provide interested parties with a wide range of benefits, which should explain the interest in the matter.
For most people, the sequencing of the human genome should be the most familiar example of such projects to have been carried out so far. However, it is interesting to note that similar projects have been carried out for other species as well, with examples ranging from rice to mice and mosquitoes. In fact, the first such project was carried out in 1976, though to be fair, sequencing a single-stranded RNA virus was much less complicated than the subsequent projects that have been carried out. With that said, there are a lot of common species that haven’t had their genomes sequenced, which is why the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative exists.
What Is the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative?
In short, the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative intends to sequence the genomes of 99 cats to study the basic make-up of our feline companions. By doing so, we can get a much better understanding of the genetic variation that can be found in cats, which should provide us with further insight into the genetic causes of a wide range of feline health problems. Moreover, it should tell us about mutations as well, thus making us even more capable of providing cats with effective healthcare.
How Can the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative Help?
Primarily, the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative promises to help out cats. Simply put, while cats have been our constant companions for thousands and thousands of years, our understanding of their health is nowhere near as good as our understanding of our own health. Due to this, while the human love of cats is clear, the state of cat healthcare isn’t as good as human healthcare.
By conducting the sequencing, interested parties can expect a number of benefits. For example, they can use the information to gauge which cats are more susceptible for which health problems, which in turn, can enable cat owners to provide better preventive healthcare by telling them which health problems to watch out for in particular. Likewise, it is possible that combining the information gained from such project with information sourced from elsewhere could produce even better effects, with an excellent example being how it might be able to tell interested parties which cats will respond better to which treatments. Something that could improve both the efficacy and efficiency of feline healthcare by significant leaps.
With that said, it is interesting to note that the people behind the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative have speculated about potential benefits for humans as well. Simply put, our understanding of genetics has seen huge improvements in recent decades, but at the end of the day, we are still very far from uncovering its full range of secrets. As a result, it can be very useful for scientists to compare the human genome with the genomes of other species because there are significant similarities between us and other offshoots of the tree of life. Already, scientists have gleaned interesting insights from the genomes of creatures such as mice, but the genome of something like a cat promises to provide more. Assuming that this promise bears fruit, it is possible that the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative could provide us with a better understanding of human genetics that will enable better healthcare for humans as well.
Summed up, the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing is an ongoing project that could provide us with a lot of benefits for not just cats but also humans in the future. Due to this, cat lovers might want to check out the project’s page to learn more about exactly what is being done as well as exactly why it is relevant for their interests. For that matter, they might want to consider making a donation to the project as well, which should help it continue making progress towards its stated goal.