Biological ‘moonshot’ accelerates efforts to genetically map life on earth
The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), a global network of scientists sequencing the genomes of Earth’s eukaryotes, set out this next stage in Frontiers in Science today (4 September).
EBP consists of a growing network of more than 2,200 scientists across 88 countries, including local and Indigenous research communities. Their goal is to create a digital library of DNA sequences that will help researchers find new ways to preserve and protect life on Earth and tackle rapid environmental change. This includes supporting research that could help assure food security, advance medicine and agriculture research, and drive a deeper global understanding of biodiversity to support conservation and pandemic prevention.
Global DNA sequencing for this project began in 2020, with the Wellcome Sanger Institute being involved from the beginning. Of the 1.67 million known species of animal, plant, fungi, and protists, just 1 per cent have been genetically sequenced so far.
By the end of 2024, EBP-affiliated projects had published 1,667 genomes covering more than 500 eukaryotic families. Network researchers also contributed a further 1,798 genomes, bringing the total number of publicly available genomes to 3,465.
These data have illuminated the origins and evolution of life on Earth, and the role of genetic diversity in species’ ability to adapt to change. For example, they have helped reveal how the Svalbard reindeer adapted to Arctic conditions, and how chromosomes evolved in butterflies and moths. The project’s research methods are also helping to improve tools such as environmental DNA (eDNA), which uncovers new lifeforms through the genetic footprints they leave behind.
Building on Phase I, the second phase aims to sequence 150,000 species — half of all known genera — within four years. It will prioritise species that are important to ecosystem health, food security, pandemic control, conservation, Indigenous peoples and local communities. It also aims to collect 300,000 samples, around half of which will form the basis of Phase three.
The authors also highlight some key challenges that must be addressed to meet the 2035 deadline, including coordinating the global collection of 300,000 species and ensuring open, low-carbon data infrastructure. Achieving this goal will also require sequencing 3,000 new genomes per month. The authors say that advances in technology are on their side: genome sequencing is now eight times cheaper than a few years ago.
To ensure that EBP is gathering all biodiversity across the world, 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.
To accelerate sequencing in remote regions, the authors propose using self-contained ‘pop-up’ sequencing labs housed in shipping containers. Known as a ‘genome lab in a box’ (gBox), the labs could enable all scientists to generate high-quality genomic data locally.
“As biodiversity loss gathers pace, so must our work. Our growing digital ‘genome ark’ is shifting what’s possible in genomics from isolated, expensive sequencing efforts to a global, scalable, and inclusive enterprise.”
Professor Harris Lewin, senior author at Arizona State University
“Chile is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots with many endemic species, but these are under threat. 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.”
Professor Juliana Vianna, co-author and member of The Chilean 1000 Genomes Project at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
“Biodiversity scientists in low- and lower middle-income countries confront daily the great irony of our species and our planet: that the lion’s share of funding and infrastructure for genomics is located at higher latitudes while the great bulk of biodiversity is found in the tropics. The 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.”
Dr Andrew J Crawford, co-author and local EBP community member at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia
“We have laid the roots to build our digital ‘tree of life’ and our early outputs are already reshaping what we know about evolution, ecosystem function, and biodiversity. This project is 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. Understanding the origins and evolution of life on Earth is a human pursuit equivalent to understanding the origins and evolution of the universe.”
Professor Mark Blaxter, lead author at the Wellcome Sanger Institute
More information
Publication:
Blaxter, et al. (2025) “The Earth BioGenome Project Phase II: illuminating the eukaryotic tree of life” Frontiers in Science. DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2025.1514835
