If you've ever been on the interwebz, you might have heard of Lil Bub — the strange but adorable cat who became famous for having a rather, ahem, unique look:
Scientists want to find out why Lil Bub looks the way she does, so they successfully crowdfunded a campaign to sequence Lil Bub's ENTIRE GENOME.
The scientists are hoping to find out why Lil Bub is a polydactyl cat, which means she has extra toes on her paws.
They also want to know why she she no teeth.
And they want to understand why Lil Bub has a peculiar type of bone, called Erlenmeyer flask bones.
On the right, you can clearly see a bone cavity in the X-ray of a normal cat. But, in Lil Bub's X-ray on the left, you see mineralized bones that are very thick at the ends instead of a normal bone cavity.
This is called Erlenmeyer flask bones, and some humans also have the condition, according to the project's page. The scientists want to know if there's a specific mutation that causes the condition in humans and cats.
On the right, you can clearly see a bone cavity in the X-ray of a normal cat. But, in Lil Bub's X-ray on the left, you see mineralized bones that are very thick at the ends instead of a normal bone cavity.
This is called Erlenmeyer flask bones, and some humans also have the condition, according to the project's page. The scientists want to know if there's a specific mutation that causes the condition in humans and cats.
On the right, you can clearly see a bone cavity in the X-ray of a normal cat. But, in Lil Bub's X-ray on the left, you see mineralized bones that are very thick at the ends instead of a normal bone cavity.
This is called Erlenmeyer flask bones, and some humans also have the condition, according to the project's page. The scientists want to know if there's a specific mutation that causes the condition in humans and cats.
Genetic mapping can help us understand why cats AND humans get rare diseases. Check out the project's blog for updates about their research.
