Scott Edmunds

**![](http://gigasciencejournal.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Screen-shot-2015-03-13-at-12.15.27-PM-1.png){.alignright
.size-full .wp-image-2211 loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="261"
height="280"}Following our efforts promoting open science and
["community
genomics"](http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/gigablog/2014/09/30/community-genomes-from-the-peoples-parrot-to-crowdfernding/ "Community Genomics"){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"} projects such as the** [**"Peoples
Parrot"**](http://www.bio-itworld.com/2012/09/28/peoples-parrot-first-community-sponsored-genome.html)** and **[**Azolla**
**"crowdfernded"
genome**](http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/gigablog/2014/06/16/guest-posting-lets-crowdfund-a-fern-genome-that-will-blow-your-mind/ "Azolla guest blog"){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"}**, today we have a guest posting from Peng
Jiang and Hui Guo at the University of Georgia covering their
crowdfunding efforts to** [**sequence the first
Cactus genome**](https://experiment.com/projects/sequencing-the-cactus-genome-to-discover-the-secret-of-drought-resistance)**.
 While they have already raised 30% of their \$2,300 target, with 25
days remaining until their deadline they still need help to reach their
goal, and anyone interested in aiding this important work can contribute
via the** [**Experiment.com** **crowdfunding
platform**](https://experiment.com/projects/sequencing-the-cactus-genome-to-discover-the-secret-of-drought-resistance "Experiment.com Cactus page"){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"}**.**

**[![cactus1](http://gigasciencejournal.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cactus1-217x300.png){.wp-image-1484
.alignleft loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="224" height="310"
srcset="http://gigasciencejournal.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cactus1-217x300.png 217w, http://gigasciencejournal.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cactus1-768x1064.png 768w, http://gigasciencejournal.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cactus1-739x1024.png 739w, http://gigasciencejournal.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cactus1.png 844w"
sizes="(max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px"}](http://gigasciencejournal.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cactus1.png)A
Prickly Proposal: Why Sequence the Cactus? 
**In these times of growing food insecurity due to climate change and
population pressures, the prickly pear cactus has growing commercial and
agricultural importance across much of the world, from Mexico and
Brazil, Chile, large parts of India and South Africa, as well as Spain
and Morocco. The goal of our proposal is to [sequence the genome and
transcriptome of the prickly pear cactus (*Opuntia
ficus*)](https://experiment.com/projects/sequencing-the-cactus-genome-to-discover-the-secret-of-drought-resistance),
a recognized food and forage crop in these challenging semiarid regions
of the world. With more than 130 genera and 1,500 species of Cactaceae,
we will create a draft genomic and transcriptome database that would aid
the understanding of this understudied plant family, and provide the
research community with valuable resources for molecular breeding and
genetic manipulation purposes. Here we will outline some of the reasons
we think a first cactus genome would be so important.

**Ecological Improvement 
**The beauty of the drought-tolerance cactus is that it can grow on
desert-like wastelands. Nowadays, more than 35% of the earth's surface
is arid or semiarid, making it inadequate for most agricultural uses.
Without efforts to curb global warming, in 30-40 years "Thermageddon"
may hit the U.S. making it desertify like the Sahara. *Opuntia* helps
create a vegetative cover which improves soil regeneration and rainfall
infiltration into the soil. This cactus genome research may help adapt
our food crops to a much hotter climate.

**Food Crops, Feed and Medicine 
**The fruits of prickly pear cactus are edible and sold under the name
"tuna" in stores. Prickly pear nectar is made with the juice and pulp of
the fruits. The pads of prickly pears ("Nopalito") are also eaten as a
vegetable. Both fruits and pads of the prickly pears can help keep blood
sugar stable because of containing rich soluble fibers. The fruit
contains vitamin C and was used as an early cure for scurvy.

Furthermore, much there has been much medical interest in the prickly
pear plant.
[Studies](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12503475 "Prickly pair pectin paper"){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"}
[have](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874196014675 "Diabetic rats and cactus"){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"}
[shown](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8207539 "More cholesterol & cacti"){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"} that the pectin contained in the prickly pear
pulp lowers levels of cholesterol. [Another
study](http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/11/1/63.short "Diabetics and cactus"){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"} found that the fibrous pectin in the fruit
may lower a diabetics' need for insulin. The plant also contains the
antioxidant flavonoids quercetin, (+)-dihydroquercetin (taxifolin),
quercetin 3-methyl ether (isorhamnetin) and kaempferol.

**Biofuels in Semiarid Regions 
**The planting of low water use, [Crassulacean acid
metabolism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crassulacean_acid_metabolism "CAM on wikipedia"){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"} or CAM (a water saving mode of
photosynthesis) biofuel feedstocks on arid and semiarid lands could
offer immediate and sustained biogas advantages. *Opuntia* pads have 8
to 12 percent dry matter which is ideal for anaerobic digestion. With an
arid climate, this prevents the need for extra irrigation or water to
facilitate the anaerobic digestion process. Requiring only 300
millimeters of precipitation per year, *Opuntia* can produce large
amount of dry matter feedstock and still retain enough moisture to
facilitate biogas production. It's possible to get as much as 2.5kwh of
methane from 1kg of dry *Opuntia*.

**Phylogenetic Importance 
**Trained botanists and amateurs alike have regarded the cacti with awe
for centuries. The copious production of spines, lack of leaves, bizarre
architecture and impressive ability to persist in the harshest
environments on Earth are all traits that have entitled this lineage to
be named a true wonder of the plant world. The cacti are one of the most
celebrated radiations of succulent plants. There has been much
speculation about their age, but progress in dating cactus origins has
been hindered by the lack of fossil data for cacti or their close
relatives. Through whole genome sequencing, we help will reveal genome
evolution of *Opuntia* by comparing this genome with that of other
sequenced plant species. Cacti are typical CAM plants. We will analyse
the evolution of CAM genes in the Cactus to help reveal the secret of
drought tolerance. Furthermore, plant architecture genes and MADS-box
gene family members will be analysed to reveal the specific architecture
and structure of cactus.

**Crowdfunding the Cactus Genome Project 
**We hope we have persuaded you that cactus comprises a fascinating
aspects worth exploring, not just for its biology, but also its
relevance to humanity and the global environment. We plan to generate a
draft genome for *Opuntia*, which will make it the first genome
sequenced in Cactaceae. We have initiated this crowdfunding campaign to
kickstart this [Cactus Genome
Project](https://experiment.com/projects/sequencing-the-cactus-genome-to-discover-the-secret-of-drought-resistance).
It is an experiment, but our citizen science approach is allowing us to
reach out and directly engage with the general public. We will be
releasing the results of the cactus genome project through GeneGarden
([www.genegarden.com](http://www.genegarden.com)), which is an
ornamental plant genome database. Please check us out when you are
navigating through this social network! If you have any further
questions, please contact project leader Dr. Peng Jiang at
<pjiang@uga.edu>. For more on the importance of plant genomes see the
following video from *Science*.

### **References**

Sequencing the Cactus Genome to Discover the Secret of Drought
Resistance
[https://experiment.com/projects/sequencing-the-cactus-genome-to-discover-the-secret-of-drought-resistance](https://experiment.com/projects/sequencing-the-cactus-genome-to-discover-the-secret-of-drought-resistance "Experiment.com Cactus page"){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"}

**UPDATE 28/4/15: Congratulations to Peng Jiang and Hui Guo for meeting
their funding target yesterday! A total of 58 funders had pledged
[\$2,301 by the deadline, and with BGI [now offering them cheaper HiSeq
4000
sequencing](https://experiment.com/u/y1K4uQ "experiment update"){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"}, it looks like they should be able to produce
more (deeper coverage) data than initially proposed. We look forward to
following the project and seeing the results!]{.goal}**

The post [Guest Posting: Help Crowdfund the "Community
Cactus"](http://gigasciencejournal.com/blog/guest-posting-help-crowdfund-community-cactus/){rel="nofollow"}
appeared first on
[GigaBlog](http://gigasciencejournal.com/blog){rel="nofollow"}.

Following our efforts promoting open science and “community genomics” projects such as the


 “Peoples Parrot”




 and


 Azolla


 “crowdfernded” genome


 , today we have a guest posting from Peng Jiang and Hui Guo at the University of Georgia covering their crowdfunding efforts to


 sequence the first

Publicaciones de Rogue Scholar

Guest Posting: Help Crowdfund the “Community Cactus”