Better together: Scientists from 33 European countries join forces to generate reference genomes for the continent’s rich biodiversity.

The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) Pilot Project reports its success in uniting researchers from across Europe to produce high-quality reference genomes for 98 species. This continental effort is setting the stage for a new, inclusive and equitable model for biodiversity genomics.

In a new publication, the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) announces the success of its Pilot Project. This pioneering initiative assembled a large collaborative network of researchers and institutions across 33 countries to produce high-quality reference genomes of 98 European species. This marks a significant milestone in the quest to create a high-quality reference genome database for all European animals, plants, and fungi. The Pilot Project has provided valuable lessons and highlighted key challenges, positioning ERGA as a model for decentralised, inclusive, and equitable biodiversity genomics initiatives around the world, as reported in a new collection of research articles published today in npj Biodiversity. This collection provides a broad overview of the Pilot Project, the sample collection and processing procedures and insights into national node developments that resulted from the Pilot Project. The collection will continue to be added to as papers associated with the Pilot Project become available over time.

Among many of the project’s milestones are the first chromosome-level genome assemblies of species from Greece, one of Europe’s most biodiverse countries. Species such as the Cretan wall lizard and Aristotle’s catfish were sampled by local researchers in Greece to produce genomes that are now openly available for anyone across the world to access and study. This is a great example of what can be achieved by uniting an international community of biodiversity researchers, fostering collaboration between and within countries. The ERGA Pilot emphasised equity and inclusion, with the goal that genomic research and resources are accessible to all, regardless of geographical boundaries. For many of the participating researchers and countries, the project offered the first opportunity to actively engage in the generation of state-of-the art reference genomic resources for their native biodiversity.

The ERGA Pilot was also successful in building momentum and bringing visibility to the growing importance of biodiversity genomics in Europe and beyond. Genomic data hold immense potential to inform conservation actions for endangered species and unlock discoveries in the fields of human health, bioeconomy, biosecurity and many other applications. Among the species sequenced by the project is for example the greater argentine – a commercially important fish species from the northern Atlantic. This new reference genome will enable scientists to make more accurate assessments of the genetic status of the species’ populations, ultimately guiding management decisions to ensure that fishing practices are sustainable and responsible.

As the global scientific community strives to unlock the full potential of genomic data, the establishment of a Europe-wide collaborative network under the ERGA umbrella accelerates scientific progress and facilitates its translation into tangible benefits for biodiversity and society. Additionally, the network helps researchers at all career stages to find and share opportunities for training, partnerships, and funding.

Addressing Challenges

ERGA is the European node of the global Earth BioGenome Project (EBP). In order to achieve its ambitious goal – to sequence all eukaryotic life on Earth – the EBP crucially needs worldwide participation and new, decentralised models of genome production. The ERGA Pilot was able to show that a fully distributed, collaborative, and coordinated genome production model is not only feasible, but effective – even at a continental scale and without a central source of funding available. In fact, most of the project budget came from grassroots efforts by individual members and partnering institutions, with additional support from sequencing partners and commercial sequencing companies providing grants, discounts and in-kind contributions.

The ERGA Pilot project helped to identify and address the many challenges of working at the international scale. These challenges include dealing with the legal and logistical hurdles of shipping biological samples across borders, resource disparities between countries, and the search for balance between decentralisation and the need for standardisation to guarantee that only the highest possible quality reference genome assemblies, that met EBP metrics, were produced by the project.

Future Directions

ERGA’s decentralised approach holds great promise for the future of biodiversity genomics. The Pilot Project’s success in building momentum and uniting researchers illustrates the power of this model. By fostering international collaboration and focusing on inclusivity and equity, ERGA is setting new standards for biodiversity genomics. The lessons learned and challenges addressed in the Pilot Project will guide future efforts, promoting robust and standardised workflows and a comprehensive genomic database for species in Europe and beyond.

Reference:

Mc Cartney AM., Formenti G., Mouton A., et al. The European Reference Genome Atlas: piloting a decentralised approach to equitable biodiversity genomics. npj Biodiversity, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44185-024-00054-6

Link to the collection: https://www.nature.com/collections/european-reference-genome-atlas