and Succulents: Unbarcoded Species Maria-Victoria Lazo, Tatiana Paucar, Julia Piccard, Olivia Vella Mentor: Michal Ashkenazy

Abstract: Results: The goal of this project is to successfully barcode three unbarcoded species. DNA Discussion: Figure 1: Figure 1 barcoding is an important practice for correctly identifying species of and animals. Viola tricolor var. Hortensis (KJR- Through generating the DNA barcodes of three common plants, students were able To contribute to the collective scientific knowledge of the environment and plants that we 001) shares the same changes with the to help expand the knowledge of the world around them and improve the quality of encounter daily, we conducted a study to barcode the DNA of the Wild Pansy, and two plants listed 2-6. It shares all of the life on Earth. With our discoveries, we will build on the existing knowledge of the life- plants that belong to the Curio , Peregrinus (Dolphin Necklace), and Senecio changing properties of plants that were previously considered mundane or solely used same features and base-pair patterns Radicans (String of Bananas). Through months of speaking with teachers and completing for their appearance. with any plants labeled under day-long labs, our group was able to barcode the Viola tricolor var. Hortensis, the Senecio Using the MUSCLE program, we were able to discover that Viola tricolor var. “viola_tricolor” because they are Peregrinus and the Senecio Radicans. Through our results, we were able to find out new Hortensis shares all of the same features and base-pair patterns with any plants information on these plants, some regarding their medicinal purposes along with each of plants of the same species, and labeled under “viola_tricolor” as they come from the same species. Further, the the plant's ancestral connections. therefore have the same DNA. Pansies program revealed that Senecio Radicans and Senecio Peregrinus have a similar can come in many varieties of colors, sequence due to a common ancestor. Both succulents come from the Senecio genus and Introduction: but overall, their DNA does not originate in the plant family. The Viola tricolor var. Hortensis, commonly known as the Pansy, is a common deviate from the same base pairings. There are many benefits that come from a like String of Bananas garden plant that has extensive medicinal properties. The Pansy is rich in Additionally, Senecio Peregrinus and Strings of Dolphins. One of these properties is air purification. They aid in antioxidants and is therefore used by many to this day as a supplement. Some of the (KJR-003) and Senecio Radicans Figure 2: purifying the air while adding oxygen to the environment. Upon completing more phytochemicals that comprise pansies include flavonoids and coumarin. Coumarin is (KRJ-002) have a similar sequence. An observation that can be made from research regarding these plants we discovered that succulents can be extremely a compound that has blood thinning, anti-fungal, and anti-tumor properties. It also Both plants have similar sequences the PHYLIP NJ tree is all of the beneficial for the environment. By planting more succulent plants around highly increases blood flow and reduces capillary permeability. because they originate from a samples share a common ancestor. polluted areas it is possible that air could become cleaner and less polluted over time. The Senecio Peregrinus, or more commonly known as the Dolphin Necklace, is a common ancestor. They are different However, Viola tricolor var. Hortensis Another way in which succulent plants can be highly beneficial to our environment is unique succulent. Originating in South Africa this plant is part of the Curio genus. has slightly mutated from its common by reducing the effect caused by climate change. Succulents are drought-tolerant types of succulents that come from the The Dolphin Necklace also produces white blossoms that give off a cinnamon scent. ancestor however, Senecio Peregrinus plants that can be beneficial in areas with less water. Succulent plants use Senecio genus, and also both have Although this succulent should not be ingested due to its mild toxicity, it does have and Senecio Radicans have mutated accumulated water to keep their metabolism going during periods of drought. origins in the Asteraceae plant family. other benefits. Succulents are amazing plants that help to purify and add oxygen to more. Both plants share many common In the ever-changing world, it is important for knowledge to continue to grow the environment. mutations and ancestors compared to alongside it. The student’s contributions will help rejuvenate the state of our planet The Senecio Radicans are commonly known as a string of bananas, coming from Figure 2 Viola tricolor var. Hortensis. Senecio and ultimately broaden our awareness of the multifaceted nature of the surrounding the Asteraceae family and Curio genus. The succulent is able to survive in tropical Peregrinus and Senecio Radicans are world. to arid conditions, as its tissue is able to conserve moisture. It, however, cannot both different types of succulents. withstand freezing temperatures. During the late winter through early spring, the

succulent produces small, cinnamon-scented flowers. Senecio is a large genus of varying plants within the daisy family. Materials and Methods : Meanwhile, Viola tricolor var. References: 1. Pansy: Archives: Aggie Horticulture. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/flowers/pansies.html#:~:text=Violas and wild pansies were,crosses were made among V. Hortensis is from a different genus 2. Vukics, V., Kery, A., & Guttman, A. (2008, October). Analysis of Polar Antioxidants in Heartsease (Viola tricolor L.) and Garden Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana Gams.) [Scholarly project]. In Journal of Extracted DNA from Viola tricolor var. Hortensis, Senecio radicans and, Chromatographic Science. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from https://watermark.silverchair.com/46-9-823.pdf? than the other two plants. It is a token=AQECAHi208BE49Ooan9kkhW_Ercy7Dm3ZL_9Cf3qfKAc485ysgAAAq8wggKrBgkqhkiG9w0BBwagggKcMIICmAIBADCCApEGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAeBglghkgBZQMEAS4wEQQM6L- sO175H4ROjO7pAgEQgIICYrFjjoA97m2q-- Senecio Peregrinus sIkBqAHT_K48wO1xfLzJPpI7p6jkJniWQ5O2PfPieLlBL4geHhUKvfdwQOo9DF2hQeUbZ0rFqyNsiJ4RyXCJ6v_yL77NVcPmt2BtWEZFhl9iIodUQRSNNI_kMGtLz941rknxgv8qNKYEALm0G- member of the Viola genus, which is f1GNZTeIjZQ1TCX4zD5TyDa2A2GWKbiVbFrYS9PsELPvcssFoNqXs-JblJkUv61pm8DQMoWvCucb7Cusym9LyXb82XX2v8PnakeDst7fLYYrjDoe6C558P- Perform PCR replication and amplification jj5c8ozzcxIuGuQYaurPOkU9_znNLPleHvUPS-imbhjBzKre7jnv4Oq8fpsf-C_xXuQCGMyegRxTsS3H_4s_49uRkl6UWnZzpLf3lTGTsz_4d0lQjUKAsHB-zMpzp12d- The duration of screen time is crucial in homes that BC7FphaEO16vwOZ2l8hPuOuPMAlH_j5Papx8GbJA4jNVEHNCfU24jh7PmdItlCc6Fh9e1Se3bn3vP6BlHnex2QmOMqXk-NqWVMFhmnLM6GGL2Op2VDwg4M1x85Ho7QMjs4ct44Cj9jQS- part of the Violaceae family. The wild p6AwbUFy2fIGQJJkXZ9C1w6uNW4Gd7Fhic5qd8FW07nXN7l1e3UQcKnKoQlSqXlvP_Rdja3FqkUgUl5eBZGlfXw_KgYhtLKVJEeC2XdCscwhCdmbD1Yx16DjhY2Nj_UR5llyolBfHv6zi_GsXwZ_x7Uu Upalllooawd crheisldurletsn oancc tehses tbol usme alirntep hoof nDeNs, Ata bSluetbsw, ay. pNDDBXGc1j3Eg6UuZA0LinznZXaqVCWZc63OgY7d-dpD6qjh7NmJjEv_0SSuj0e1cCRI-x6aDj5Q0mz6ryKez60-XjKNB2AaGe-ao0xu2T2V3yZVNU 3. Singh, T. (2015a, August 4). Studies Prove that Desk Plants Can Improve Worker Concentration and Productivity. Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building. televisions, and computers. Child development pansy is part of a section of the Viola https://inhabitat.com/studies-prove-that-desk-plants-can-improve-worker-concentration-and-productivity/ Use MUSCLE BLAST Alignment to analyze differences between consensus 4. String Succulents - Dave’s Garden. (2020). Dave’s Garden. https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/string-succulents experts emphasize the importance of consciousness 5. Box, S. (2020, September 16). How to care for String of Dolphins. Succulents Box. https://succulentsbox.com/blogs/blog/how-to-care-for-string-of-dolphins genus known as Melanium. Polyploidy 6. Tuttle, C. (2020, June 2). Senecio peregrinus “String of Dolphins.” Succulents and Sunshine. https://www.succulentsandsunshine.com/types-of-succulents/senecio-peregrinus-string-of-dolphins/? se-q tuheant csec raenend toiumre pshlaonueldts n. ot replace what is most utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-pug and hybridization have affected the 7. https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=scripps_theses 8. Using DNA Barcodes to Identify and Classify Living Things [PDF]. (2018). Retrieved March 14, 2021, from https://dnabarcoding101.org/files/using-dna-barcodes.pdf Useess penhtyilaol gfeonr ecthicil dt rdeeevse MlopLm aenndt: NhuJm taon a innalteyzraect eiovoln. utionary relationships 9. http://www.dbbm.fiocruz.br/james/GlossaryS.html#:~:text=Star%20Decomposition%20This%20is%20a,also%20known%20as%20a%20bush. evolution of this group causing a wide 10. http://www.deduveinstitute.be/~opperd/private/neighbor.html#:~:text=The%20neighbor%2Djoining%20method%20is,tree%20is%20a%20star%20tree. and common ancestors. 11. https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/4/4/406/1029664 range of chromosome numbers. 12. Grace, O. M. (2019, October 1). Succulent plant diversity as natural capital. New Phytologist Foundation. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.25