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Image: Shutterstock<\/p>\nImage: Shutterstock<\/p>\n
From the mighty blue whale to the humble baker\u2019s yeast, scientists have barely begun to understand the vast genetic diversity among lifeforms. Of the 1.67m known species of animal, plant, fungi and protists, just 1% have been genetically sequenced.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2035, this figure could reach 100%.\u00a0<\/p>\n Published in Frontiers in Science<\/a>, this is the new ambition of the Earth BioGenome Project<\/a> (EBP)\u2014a global network of scientists sequencing the genomes of Earth\u2019s eukaryotes. Its goal? To create a digital library of DNA sequences that will help us preserve and protect life on Earth and tackle rapid environmental change.\u00a0<\/p>\n With a growing network of more than 2,200 scientists in 88 countries\u2014including flourishing local and Indigenous research communities in the Global South\u2014EBP is making discoveries that could help assure food security, advance medicine and agriculture, and drive a deeper global understanding of biodiversity to support conservation and pandemic prevention.\u00a0<\/p>\n Biological \u2018moonshot\u2019\u00a0 <\/p>\n EBP began global DNA sequencing in 2020 and is now sequencing genomes 10 times faster.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n New innovations to meet this ambitious \u2018moonshot\u2019 include portable \u2018pop-up\u2019 labs to expand sequencing capacity, as well as boosting engagement and inclusion in the world\u2019s biodiversity-rich yet remote regions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs biodiversity loss gathers pace, so must our work,\u2019 said senior author Prof Harris Lewin at Arizona State University<\/a>, in the US. \u201cOur growing digital \u2018genome ark\u2019 is shifting what\u2019s possible in genomics from isolated, expensive sequencing efforts to a global, scalable, and inclusive enterprise.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Read and download the article<\/a><\/p>\n Strong roots<\/p>\n By the end of 2024, EBP-affiliated projects had published 1,667 genomes covering more than 500 eukaryotic families. Network researchers also deposited a further 1,798 genomes meeting EBP standards, bringing the total number of genomes to 3,465.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n These data have illuminated the origins and evolution of life on Earth, and the role of genetic diversity in species\u2019 ability to adapt to change. For example, they have helped reveal how Svalbard reindeer adapted to Arctic conditions, and how chromosomes evolved in butterflies and moths. The project\u2019s research methods are also helping to improve tools such as environmental DNA (eDNA), which uncovers new lifeforms through the genetic footprints they leave behind.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have laid the roots to build our digital \u2018tree of life\u2019\u2014and our early outputs are already reshaping what we know about evolution, ecosystem function, and biodiversity,\u201d said lead author Prof Mark Blaxter at the UK\u2019s Wellcome Sanger Institute<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ambitious goals\u00a0 <\/p>\n As EBP enters the second of its three phases, Phase II brings ambitious new goals that will rapidly accelerate the project\u2019s work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Building on Phase I, Phase II aims to sequence 150,000 species\u2014half of all known genera\u2014within four years. It will prioritize species that are important to ecosystem health, food security, pandemic control, conservation, Indigenous peoples and local communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n It also aims to collect 300,000 samples, around half of which will form the basis of Phase III.\u00a0<\/p>\n Achieving this will require sequencing 3,000 new genomes per month\u2014more than 10 times faster than current rates. The authors say that advances in technology are on their side: genome sequencing is now eight times cheaper than just a few years ago, which means budgets stretch further and work can accelerate.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a biological moonshot in terms of the scale of ambition. As species vanish and ecosystems degrade, we aim to capture and preserve the biological blueprint of life on Earth for future generations,\u201d said Prof Blaxter. “Understanding the origins and evolution of life on Earth is a human pursuit equivalent to understanding the origins and evolution of the universe.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Genome lab in a box<\/p>\n The EBP\u2019s authors highlight key challenges, including coordinating the global collection of 300,000 species and ensuring open, low-carbon data infrastructure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Much of the Earth\u2019s biodiversity is found in the Global South. Therefore, vast amounts of the species collection, sample management, sequencing, assembly, annotation, and analysis will be delivered by local EBP partners. This will also help to ensure equitable access and culturally appropriate practices, while reducing societal and environmental impact.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n To accelerate sequencing in remote regions, the authors propose using self-contained \u2018pop-up\u2019 sequencing labs housed in shipping containers. Known as a \u2018genome lab in a box\u2019 (gBox), the labs could enable local and indigenous scientists, particularly in the Global South, to generate high-quality genomic data locally.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Chile is one of the world\u2019s biodiversity hotspots with many endemic species, but these are under threat,” said co-author and local EBP community member Prof Juliana Vianna from The Chilean 1000 Genomes Project<\/a> at Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Chile<\/a>. “In addition, our species are often studied only after samples are exported. With gBoxes, we can change that. Local teams can generate the data here, in context, and immediately connect it to the conservation and sustainable management challenges we face on the ground.”\u00a0<\/p>\n “Biodiversity scientists in low and lower middle-income countries confront daily the great irony of our species and our planet: that the lion\u2019s share of funding and infrastructure for genomics is located at higher latitudes while the great bulk of biodiversity is found in the tropics,\u201d said co-author and local EBP community member Dr Andrew J Crawford from Universidad de los Andes in Colombia<\/a>. \u201cThe gBox would allow any nation on the globe to make its own choices, empower the next generation of researchers in biotech and computational biology, and impact national economies by asking novel questions and developing creative solutions.”\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe gBox isn\u2019t just a lab\u2014it\u2019s a symbol of equity in science. By equipping local and Indigenous researchers with advanced genomic tools, we\u2019re empowering the Global South to contribute on equal footing to the Earth BioGenome Project. This shift ensures biodiversity science is inclusive, locally driven, and culturally informed,\u201d said co-author and local EBP community member Prof Montserrat Corominas at Universitat de Barcelona<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Value for money\u00a0 <\/p>\n Since launching, EBP has created international standards, built a network of affiliated projects, and completed many of its Phase I targets.\u00a0<\/p>\n The projected cost of Phase II is $1.1 billion. This includes a $0.5 billion Foundational Impact Fund to support local training, infrastructure, and applied research in the Global South.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The full cost of sequencing all 1.67 million named eukaryotic species in 10 years is estimated at $4.42 billion\u2014less than the cost of the Human Genome Project or the Webb Telescope in today\u2019s dollars.\u00a0<\/p>\n The authors say this investment is \u201cvery reasonable for a global effort with such a lasting impact.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n The article is part of the Frontiers in Science multimedia article hub \u2018The Earth BioGenome Project: scaling up<\/a>.’ The hub features an explainer<\/a>, editorial<\/a>, and viewpoint<\/a>, from other eminent experts: Dr Paul Flicek (The Jackson Laboratory, USA), and Prof Gane Ka-Shu Wong (University of Alberta, USA).<\/p>\n About<\/p>\n Frontiers in Science<\/a> is Frontiers\u2019 multidisciplinary, open-access journal focused on transformational science to accelerate solutions for healthy lives on a healthy planet.\n<\/p>\n The journal publishes a select number of exceptional peer-reviewed lead articles invited from internationally renowned researchers, whose work addresses key global challenges in human and planetary health. Each lead article is enriched by a diverse hub of content\u202fthat extends its reach and impact across society \u2013 from researchers and policymakers to lay audiences and kids.\n<\/p>\n For more information, visit www.frontiersin.org\/science<\/a> and follow @FrontScience<\/a> on X, Frontiers in Science<\/a> on LinkedIn, and @Frontiers<\/a> on Bluesky.<\/p>\n Please note the Frontiers press office business hours of Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:30 pm Central European Time, excluding Swiss and UK holidays. Queries received outside of these business hours will be answered the next business day. <\/p>\n