New Darwin’s Ark Project Is Sequencing Thousands of Cat Genomes
Fur-based sequencing offers a non-invasive way to study cat genetics, revealing new insights into health and behavior.
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Though dogs often catch the spotlight for being “man’s best friend”, humans have enjoyed the companionship of feline creatures for thousands of years. It’s perhaps surprising, then, that we know little about their genetic make-up.
To tackle this gap in our knowledge, Darwin’s Ark – a community science nonprofit aiming to catalyze animal research by engaging pets and their owners in scientific discovery – has launched a new initiative, Darwin’s Cats.
Darwin’s Cats is adopting a novel sequencing approach known as fur-based sequencing to capture genetic data from thousands of felines. Owners are simply asked to brush their cat’s coat, send the fur sample back for analysis and complete research surveys about their feline friend. The data collected by Darwin’s Cats will help to build one of the most comprehensive databases on feline genetics, creating new opportunities to understand cat genetic diversity, traits, behaviors, health and wellbeing.
Dawin’s Ark was founded by researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and UMass Chan Medical School. Its first community science project, Darwin’s Dogs, was a great success; after recruiting over 45,000 dog owners and their four-legged companions, it stands among the largest community science efforts in the world. Technology Networks recently interviewed Dr. Elinor Karlsson, co-founder and chief scientist at Darwin’s Ark, to learn about the development of fur-based sequencing, the aims of Darwin’s Cats and the significance of community science projects.
Fur-based DNA sequencing is a novel approach in pet science. What were the biggest technical challenges in developing this method, and how does its accuracy compare to traditional saliva or blood-based sequencing?
Elinor Karlsson, PhD (EK):
Fur-based DNA sequencing is an exciting new development in pet science, but it came with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest hurdles was overcoming a widespread belief in the scientific community that it wouldn’t work. Scientists thought that to get enough DNA, you had to make sure your sample included the root of the hair – which meant you had to pluck it out. Loose fur – fur collected with a comb – was dismissed as an option.
We were told over and over again that it wasn’t possible to get enough high-quality DNA from loose fur.
At the same time, though, I knew people working in paleogenomics and forensics who had figured out how to extract DNA from extremely old and very tiny samples. After a number of meetings, we decided we would need to develop this technology ourselves.
Darwin’s Ark worked with the Broad Technology Space at the Broad Institute to create a specialized DNA extraction and library preparation process explicitly designed for small samples of cat fur. Once we had it working, we sent out kits to the owners of 96 cats. Using our new process, all 96 yielded enough high-quality DNA for sequencing. This was very exciting – usually, with a brand-new process, you expect at least a few not to work. Finding that all 96 worked suggested that loose fur sequencing was going to be an exceptionally robust and reliable strategy.
We validated the accuracy of the fur sequencing by collecting blood samples from 13 cats. We used the blood DNA to make very high-quality (30x sequence coverage) genomes for each of these cats and confirmed that the sequencing data from the fur samples was concordant with the sequencing data from the blood samples.
Compared to the standard method for collecting DNA – saliva swabs – fur actually performs better in an important way. Unlike saliva samples, fur samples contain almost no bacteria, so we get more cat DNA and less non-cat DNA – and more of the high-quality sequence data we need for our research at lower cost.
This breakthrough not only makes DNA collection easier and less invasive – especially for cats – but also ensures the method is scientifically reliable and scalable for large-scale studies.
MC:
Cats have been companion animals for thousands of years, yet their genetics remain relatively understudied. What do you see as the most pressing unanswered questions in feline genomics, and how might Darwin’s Cats help address them?
EK:
That’s correct. Cats have been our companions for thousands of years, yet their genetics remain surprisingly understudied. Compared to well-studied species like humans and dogs, we know almost nothing about them. These are a few of the questions that we are most interested in:
Genetic basis of common diseases
Many cats suffer from conditions like kidney disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and diabetes, but we don’t know how much genetics influences their risk of developing these diseases and whether [their] environment plays a role. Finding genetic markers that increase risk could lead to better diagnostics and treatments.
Behavioral traits and genetics
How much of a cat’s behavior – such as sociability, hunting instincts or even their reaction to catnip – is influenced by genetics? Understanding this could improve our relationships with cats and help us better meet their needs. It could give us insight into the basic biology of how changes in DNA lead to changes in behavior in animals more broadly.
Genetic diversity and ancestry
Studying the genetic diversity of domestic cats and tracing their ancestry can reveal fascinating insights into their evolution, breed development and even inform conservation efforts. I’m really excited to see if we can use genetics to trace the migration of cats throughout the US and around the world, and what that can tell us about human history and our world today.
Physical trait determinants
Traits like coat color, patterns and texture are not just aesthetic – they can tell us a lot about inheritance and developmental biology. Cats have a remarkable range of coat patterns – I just learned there are actually four (or five, depending on who you ask) distinct kinds of tabby striping in cats. By connecting differences in appearance to changes in DNA, we might be able to figure out how small changes at key time points in development create this incredible variation.
Darwin’s Cats is working to address these questions through several innovative approaches, including building a comprehensive genetic database. By collecting DNA samples and detailed survey data from a large, diverse population of cats, we are creating an open-access resource for researchers worldwide.
In addition, by involving cat owners in the research process as citizen scientists, the project gathers valuable data on cat behavior, health and physical traits, which can then be linked to genetic information to uncover new insights.
Ultimately, our aim is to deepen our understanding of feline genetics, improve the health and well-being of cats, and make discoveries that will benefit human health as well.
MC:
Community science is central to Darwin’s Cats. What have been some surprising or particularly valuable contributions from cat owners so far, and how do you ensure the data collected is scientifically rigorous?
EK:
Community science is at the heart of Darwin’s Cats, empowering cat owners to play an active role in advancing feline genetic research. This collaboration has already led to some unexpectedly valuable contributions.
One standout is the sheer volume and detail of behavioral and trait data that participants have shared. Through thoughtfully designed surveys, cat owners have provided insights into their pets’ physical traits, behaviors, health histories and living environments. This kind of data, gathered at scale, has uncovered patterns that would be difficult to detect in traditional lab-based studies.
Another particularly innovative contribution has been adopting a fur-based DNA collection method. This non-invasive approach has proven both effective and participant-friendly, enabling large-scale genetic sampling without causing stress to the animals – a crucial factor in studies involving companion animals.
Darwin’s Cats takes a structured approach to ensuring scientific rigor. Surveys are standardized and based on validated research tools to reduce bias and promote consistency. Owner-reported data is then cross-checked against genetic findings to assess accuracy and strengthen the reliability of results. Additionally, by making data available for broader scientific collaboration, the project supports transparency and invites independent verification.
Together, these efforts ensure that cat owners' contributions are not just interesting anecdotes – they’re credible, meaningful data points that are helping to advance our understanding of feline genetics, behavior and health.
MC:
As the project scales toward its goal of enrolling 100,000 cats, what are the biggest logistical or scientific challenges ahead, and how might the findings from Darwin’s Cats shape future research in pet health and genetics?
EK:
With such a large and diverse dataset, the potential to uncover novel insights into feline biology is enormous. The genetic information collected will help researchers identify markers associated with common and rare diseases, physical traits and behavioral patterns. These discoveries could significantly improve diagnostics, lead to more personalized and effective treatments, and even inform preventative care strategies for cats worldwide.
Darwin's Cats will help usher in a new wave of discoveries that could redefine how we understand, care for and connect with our feline companions. Credit: iStock.
In addition to medical applications, the project offers an opportunity to deepen our understanding of feline behavior by linking it to genetic variation. This could enhance how we train, care for and interact with cats, ultimately improving their quality of life. The data may also be used to inform more responsible breeding practices, reducing the incidence of inherited disorders and supporting greater genetic diversity. And because the dataset is open-access, it can be used in comparative genomics studies – potentially revealing genetic similarities between cats and other species, including humans. Such findings could have far-reaching implications for both veterinary and human medicine.
But reaching this scale is not without its challenges. One of the biggest logistical hurdles is recruiting and retaining a large, diverse group of participants. Ensuring cat owners from various backgrounds engage with the project and remain active over time requires ongoing education, outreach and community-building. Another major challenge lies in managing the quality and consistency of the data. With tens of thousands of participants submitting behavioral observations and genetic samples, robust protocols and quality control measures are essential to ensure the data remains scientifically valid.
There’s also the matter of infrastructure. Handling, storing and analyzing such vast genetic and behavioral data demands significant resources, from bioinformatics expertise to funding and lab capacity.
