A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be involved in investigating the genes of the Manx cat
*** If you donate to put forward your Manx cat for sequencing, we will send you an email within 24 hours of your donation to ask for information about your cat (thank you!) ***
The
Isle of Man is famous for a few things: the TT races, the oldest continuous government in the world (1036 years and counting) and most importantly the Manx cat. The Isle of Man isn't famous for being a country with the capability to do world-class scientific research but I'd like to change that perception by starting the Isle of Man's first genome sequencing project to
unlock the genetic mysteries of the Manx cat!
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My name is Rachel and I was born and raised on the Isle of Man. I've been working as a research scientist in the UK for eleven years and my expertise lies in genome sequencing and the analysis of DNA sequences. Manx cats are really interesting to scientists because of their lack of tail but the current research doesn't explain why some Manx cats are rumpy (no tail), others are stumpy (tiny tail), and some just have a slightly shorter tail than normal. There is also Manx Syndrome, which is a range of conditions that can affect some Manx cats, from spina bifida to incontinence. By sequencing the whole genomes of Manx cats - for the first time - we will be able to find all the mutations which make the Manx breed unique.
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I passionately believe that your contribution can help to make a huge difference to what we know about the iconic Manx cat and your cat could be one of those sequenced. Together we have the chance to discover more about them and help scientists around the world carry out research on the Manx cat.
Science to help Manx cats worldwide
A draft of the cat genome (from an Abyssinian breed) was
made available in 2007 and a much more comprehensive version was
completed in 2014. No-one has sequenced the Manx breed yet and this project would be the first to look at the whole genomes of Manx cats and find the mutations that are unique to them.
Sequencing multiple Manx cat genomes has a scientific purpose. If we can identify other mutations which are unique to the Manx breed this might possibly lead to diagnostic DNA tests that can be used by breeders to select their cats more appropriately to try and reduce the number of kittens born with Manx Syndrome. The more cats we can sequence the more we can discover!
We want to investigate the genomes to answer these questions:
- In addition to the tailless gene, which mutations are unique to the Manx cat?
- Which other genes are involved in Manx Syndrome?
- What is the genetic basis for some Manx cats having a rumpy tail, some having a stumpy tail and some a longie tail? This isn't currently explained fully by the known mutations in the tailless gene.
- In the individual cats we sequence, can we find any genetic basis for any health problems they have?
The results of our experiments will be peer-reviewed and published in a scientific journal. We're sure that along the way we'll also find more questions in the genome data and we're releasing a copy of the genomes to the
99 lives project at the University of Missouri so that scientists all around the world can benefit from the Isle of Man's first genome project.
Which cats will be sequenced?
We'll be selecting the Manx cats primarily on their tail length and medical history but we want you to help us find the cats. A donation of £10 or more will enable you to submit the details of your cat for sequencing. If your cat is chosen you will receive all the perks associated with having paid for the full sequencing yourself: analysis report, a day with our scientist to interactively explore your cats genome, T-shirt and making your cat famous!
Where your money will go
The money raised during this campaign will go towards sequencing at least one Manx cat, but our target is to raise enough to sequence at least three Manx cats so that the most interesting genetic mysteries can be unravelled. The major costs involved are:
- Vet fees to take blood from the cat(s) and to do a basic health check on each cat chosen for sequencing
- DNA extraction and preparation of the DNA for sequencing
- Genome sequencing (carried out at the University of Missouri)
- Genome assembly
Rachel will be volunteering her time to analyse the genome sequences and do the science and local
Manx IT company ServiceTech have been fantastic and donated server time to do the experiments and will be storing the genome data on the Island.
Each cat we sequence will cost £10,000, so the more we raise the more cats we can sequence which means we can make more discoveries about the Manx cat. If there is money left over from the project this will be put towards running educational workshops for children and students about the science of the Manx cat - hopefully we can inspire some future scientists!
Other ways you can help
You can help us to make scientific discoveries by donating whatever you can - no donation is too small as every donation is a step closer to reaching our goal.
I passionately believe that your contribution can help to make a huge difference to what we know about the iconic Manx cat. Together we have the chance to discover more about them and help scientists around the world carry out research on Manx Syndrome to help affected cats in the future.
As well as donations, please help us to spread the word and share this page with your friends, family and colleagues.
Follow our progress
If you would like to keep up to date with the project I will report our progress on the project website:
www.manxcatgenome.com.
