The comprehensive application of genomic science to biodiversity research will fundamentally change conservation science and policy - with impacts predicted to be on a scale similar to those of the Human Genome Project in medicine. The new pan-European Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) consortium, launched today, is leading the way.
Time is running out. An appalling one in four species on the planet are currently threatened with extinction, putting livelihoods, food supplies, and essential water and nutrient cycles at risk. Knowledge is of the essence in the fight to reverse this unprecedented loss of species and degradation of ecosystems - yet currently our understanding of how life on Earth functions and responds to environmental pressures is far from complete. Genomics provides crucial new tools to answer these questions, and the BGE consortium will cause a quantum leap in the use of genomics across the continent.
Despite centuries of scientific research, an estimated 80% of the world’s species still await scientific discovery and description. Even for described species, telling them apart is often difficult. Moreover, interactions within and among species, and between species and their environment, create a hugely complex picture from individual to planetary levels. Genomic science is our best hope for success in mapping these interdependencies and predicting how individuals and groups may respond to environmental change.
By bringing together Europe’s key practitioners in two fundamental DNA-based technologies - DNA barcoding and genome sequencing - the BGE consortium will streamline the rollout of these methods across Europe.
DNA barcoding uses short sequences of DNA to discriminate between species - analogous to the way conventional barcodes distinguish products in a supermarket. With modern genetic sequencing techniques, DNA barcoding has the potential to dramatically accelerate the inventory of life on Earth, providing a basis for global conservation monitoring.
At the opposite end of the scale, genome sequencing determines the order of DNA nucleotides - the building blocks of the genetic code - throughout the entire genome of any given species. This enables scientists to identify and locate genes and other features of the genome, creating a comparative 'map' of the code that creates each organism. This provides a full picture of how biological systems function and, crucially, how species respond and adapt to environmental change.
From cod to everything
The genome of Atlantic cod, sequenced by researchers at the University of Oslo in 2011, was one of the world’s first genomes of a non-model species. The genome was instrumental in the later discovery of “supergenes” that differentiate migratory and non-migratory cod and enable them to persist despite centuries of overexploitation, directly impacting management of cod since. The new discoveries unlocked by the genomes of all European species will be used to safeguard European biodiversity in a changing world.
Within BGE, UiO leads community sampling of critical European biodiversity, which aims at sequencing genomes suggested by and for Europe’s biodiversity community in an inclusive, equitable, and just way. The second major contribution of UiO to BGE is developing and sharing methods to work with difficult samples, such as those that are very small or from old museum collections.
By building genomics capacity across Europe and tackling some of the more challenging species now, BGE will unlock the potential of subsequent projects to truly sequence all genomes and not just those that are easily sampled and sequenced today. These activities work towards the global mission to sequence all genomes on Earth over the next decade.
Europe at the forefront of genomics research
The EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the European Green Deal make clear commitments to address challenges such as pollinator decline, the deterioration of key terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, and the impact of invasive non-native species on biodiversity. The Horizon Europe-funded BGE Consortium - a major investment in European genomic science - provides the means to achieve these aims.
BGE will scale up the efforts of the European Reference Genome Atlas’s pan-European Pilot Project, which is well on its way to sequencing the genomes of 100 community-provided species across Europe. In September, the Pilot Project celebrated the release of its first genome: Aristotle’s catfish, a species native to Greece. This catfish represents the first of many species for which the genome sequence will reveal its evolutionary history and aid conservation efforts.
UiO Project Lead for BGE, Rebekah Oomen (Centre for Ecological & Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo) said: “Norway has been at the forefront of biodiversity genomics research for over a decade, but safeguarding Earth’s biodiversity requires a global effort. Now it’s time for Norway to contribute to building capacity for genome sequencing across Europe by leading community sampling of European critical biodiversity in BGE. Our mission is as much a social one as an ecological one and requires deeply rooting BGE in principles of equity, inclusion, and diversity in order to maintain Europe’s biodiversity.”
Torsten Struck, Professor at the Natural History Museum Oslo and UiO Co-Lead for BGE, said: "BGE will enables us to also conduct genomic research on the dark matter of biodiversity, the majority of all species that we know extremely little about, at the same level as for well-established species like mouse, zebrafish, corn, yeast, and the fruitfly. Among others, this is accomplished by UiO's contribution to deal with difficult material such as species that are small or come from scientific collections like the ones of the NHMO. BGE will accomplish this by bringing together genome researchers at sequencing centers with taxonomists at museums."
BGE’s project director, Dimitris Koureas (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, The Netherlands) said: “We will align the efforts and resources of Europe’s DNA barcoding and genome sequencing communities to dramatically scale up biodiversity genomics research across the continent, opening the door for the kind of developments which will position Europe at the forefront of biodiversity genomics research.”
BGE will also collaborate with several international genomics projects, including the Earth BioGenome Project, the Vertebrate Genomes Project, and the Barcode of Life Project.
Contact information
Rebekah Oomen, UiO Project Lead for BGE
Email: r.a.oomen@ibv.uio.no
Phone: +47 477 14 417