An American High School Student Of Indian Descent Is The First To Sequence The DNA Of An Angelfish
After his pet fish Calvin passed away in early March of this year, a student of Indian descent Indeever Madireddy from a prestigious private school in Silicon Valley became the first person to successfully sequence the genome of the freshwater angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare).
Madireddy, a senior at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley in California, sequenced the DNA over the course of two weekends at a community lab. On October 18, he published a brief paper summarising his research.
The Amazon basin is home to freshwater angelfish, which live for 10 years. Because of their easy care requirements and long, majestic fins, they are one of the most popular kinds of tropical aquarium fish worldwide. The method of genome sequencing aids in identifying the DNA or genetic makeup of a particular organism, cell type, or genome.
Sequencing was expected to cost roughly $2000, but Madireddy was able to gather more than $1000 through crowdsourcing.
The high school student’s research paper explained how the NEB Monarch genomic DNA purification kit was used to extract the genomic DNA from the angelfish.
These sequencers identified the molecules’ order as the DNA went through microscopic pores. In comparison to other technologies, nanopore sequencers are more sophisticated because they can sequence considerably longer DNA fragments, which makes it simpler for sequencing software to put the genome together for analysis.
Madireddy studied the technical aspects of genome sequencing for a month prior to the experiment. After the sequencing was finished, he spent more than two months analyzing the data. While this didn’t reveal any unique traits from other fish species in the family, the project added significant data because the nuclear genetics of angelfish were poorly understood.
This is not Madireddy’s first foray into the field of aquatic biology. He previously researched, among other things, the connection between the protein content of fish feed and water contamination. He has also investigated the vertebrae of mice, viral infections, the buildup of microplastic, and more.
The prestigious Davidson Fellows Scholarship Program, which supports projects by students under the age of 18 in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, and music, has awarded Madireddy, an enthusiastic fishkeeper, and biologist.
News Mania Desk
