A team of University at Buffalo biologists is doing its part to help protect and preserve the African violet – a common houseplant that has been virtually decimated in the natural world. Due to deforestation and aggressive farming in Kenya and Tanzania, the flower, known as Saintpaulia, is one of the many animal and plant species that is disappearing from the face of the planet – at least in its natural settings.
“The African violet can be viewed as a flagship plant, a sort of ‘panda of the plant world,’ in the conservation of the Eastern Arc Mountains biodiversity.”
-Charlotte Lindqvist, UB assistant professor of biological sciences
The DNA sequencing of the African violet genome is imperative for conservation efforts – the scientists must conduct extensive research into the evolutionary history of the species. Once the scientists learn how the African violet has adapted to past environmental changes, they will better understand what directions to take with the plant moving forward.
A crowdfunding effort launched on June 21, that will allow the researchers and scientists to get underway with this crucial initiative. The funding goal is a mere $9000, which would not only help to understand how to deal with the disappearance of the delicate flower, but would also be a significant global conservation feather in Buffalo’s cap.
The African Violet Genome Project: Tools for Conservation and Breeding
The budget:
- $450 – Preparation of Illumina HiSeq genomic DNA libraries, including fees and overhead
- $8550 – Illumina HiSeq 2500 shotgun DNA sequencing, including fees and overhead
To read more about the initiative, click here. To financially support this project, click here.