@ebpgenome.bsky.social
The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), a moonshot for biology, aims to sequence, catalog, and characterize the genomes of all of Earth's eukaryotic biodiversity over a period of ten years. 🌲Keep up with all EBP updates: https://linktr.ee/earthbiogenomeproject
🚀 The Pipeline Accelerator voucher scheme Round 2 is now open!
Vouchers help researchers & SMEs access advanced facilities, from molecular discovery to clinical trials.
🗓 Closes 17 April 2026, 5 pm AEST
👉 therapeuticinnovation.com.au/pipeline-acc...
And it does not end there ... as we will continue our efforts through the #Biodiversity #Genomics #Europe PLUS (BGE+) project biodiversitygenomics.eu/2026/02/16/b...
27.02.2026 16:19 — 👍 16 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
Be part of the global biodiversity genomics community 🌍🧬🚀
Join the conversation by referencing biodiversity genomics or 🌍🧬
Huge news 🌍🧬
The Protist 10,000 Genomes Project is joining the Earth BioGenome Project.
Protists may represent the majority of eukaryotic diversity — yet only a tiny fraction have reference genomes.
Time to change that. 🚀✨
Learn more 👉 ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/p10k/
#EBP #Protists #Genomics #TreeOfLife
Now online! In this review, we cover four major topics on butterflies and moths: their evolutionary history and diversification dynamics, genomics, global diversity patterns, and conservation 🦋🌏 (1/8) @natrevbiodiv.nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Transposable elements in the dark genome go.nature.com/4tQ1zTn
23.02.2026 17:08 — 👍 22 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 0
#biodiversity #bioinformatics Summer School ... 21-26 June in Siegen, Germany co-organised by @sib.swiss & @denbi.bsky.social
www.sib.swiss/training/cou...
🟢 eDNA & ecosystems
🟣 pangenome diversity
🔵 population genetics
🟡 comparative genomics
Register to apply, selections will start from March 16th
A sperm whale swims upward through deep blue ocean water, its massive head and body illuminated by filtered sunlight from the surface above. “High-quality genomes at scale reveal: • the genetic basis of resilience, longevity, and adaptation • smarter conservation strategies • lasting biological knowledge for future discovery”
A view of Earth from space shows continents lit by city lights and sunlight along the horizon, representing global collaboration and planetary-scale science. “The Earth BioGenome Project is a global collaboration working to generate high-quality reference genomes for all eukaryotic species, unlocking the biological knowledge needed to understand, protect, and sustain life on Earth.”
🌍 ✨Thank you to the global community making this possible. This is collaboration at #global scale. 🚀 👉 go.bsky.app/CRvXDF4
EBP-affiliated projects worldwide are building a shared scientific foundation — powered by collaboration, open #data, and a collective vision to sequence life at scale.
A Greenland shark swims through dark ocean water, its large body and pale mottled skin visible against a deep green background, representing one of the longest-lived vertebrates on Earth. “Nature’s Superpowers (Longevity) How do Greenland sharks live for hundreds of years?”
A highly magnified grayscale image of a tardigrade shows its segmented body and clawed limbs, highlighting one of the most resilient microscopic animals known. “Nature’s Superpowers (Extreme Survival) What allows tardigrades to survive radiation, vacuum, and desiccation?”
A diagram illustrates planarian flatworms being cut into pieces and regenerating into complete individuals, demonstrating extraordinary regenerative abilities in some eukaryotes. “Nature’s Superpowers (Extreme regeneration) Some eukaryotes, like planarians, don’t just heal damage — they can rebuild an entire body from a fragment.”
🚀Sequencing across eukaryotic life will unlock discoveries we can’t yet predict — from resilience to entirely new biology.
Many of the biggest genomic gaps remain among small unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes across marine and terrestrial environments.
#TreeOfLife #BiodiversityGenomics
A microscopic image of Volvox, a spherical green colonial alga composed of many small cells arranged in a hollow globe, glowing against a dark background. “Beyond Humans: The Eukaryotic Frontier”
A collage grid showing diverse eukaryotic life — including fungi, a seahorse, insects, deer, protists, bees, trees, birds, mammals, plants, and marine invertebrates — representing the breadth of species across Earth. “A moonshot for LIFE on Earth: deliver reference genomes for all known eukaryotic species — 1.8 million — in the next decade.”
A stylized image of Earth encircled by a glowing DNA double helix, surrounded by animals, plants, fungi, and marine life, symbolizing the genetic unity and diversity of life on the planet. “What secrets are hidden in the DNA of life on Earth?” image generated by AI
Beyond humans lies the eukaryotic frontier. 🧬🌍
Sequencing the human genome showed us how powerful a single reference can be.
Now the challenge is scaling that insight across all eukaryotic life — plants, animals, fungi, and the vast unknown diversity of the Tree of Life.
A close-up of a brown mouse with large dark eyes and whiskers looks toward the viewer, representing model organisms that serve as foundational reference genomes for research across biology. “Reference genomes are foundational infrastructure. One high-quality genome enables: comparative genomics, functional gene discovery, population and evolutionary genomics, and method and tool development. Everything starts with a reference.”
A collage of diverse life forms — including a chimpanzee, octopus, beetle, fungi, plants, and microscopic organisms — appears over an image of Earth, illustrating global biodiversity and the power of shared genomic data. “Open data and scale accelerate discovery. The Human Genome Project showed that: open data sharing multiplies impact, collaboration drives innovation, and technology improves rapidly at scale. These principles made today’s large-scale genomics possible.”
A glowing golden DNA double helix arcs across Earth from space with a sunrise on the horizon, symbolizing the global impact of genomics on understanding life. “One genome changed how we study life. Sequencing millions will transform how we understand evolution — and power breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, and the global bioeconomy.”
🌍 We’re not just sequencing genomes.
We’re building the biological foundation for the next century of science. 🚀
Powered by an extraordinary global community 🧬
🌍 ✨Thank you to the many groups around the world driving this shared effort to sequence and understand life on Earth 👉 go.bsky.app/CRvXDF4
A stylized Tree of Life radiates outward from a central point, showing the major branches of life across eukaryotes and microbes, illustrating how insights from a single reference genome expanded across the diversity of life. “Sequencing a single reference genome transformed biology by revealing lessons that extend far beyond humans.”
A close-up of a pale axolotl with soft pink gills and wide eyes looks toward the viewer, highlighting one of nature’s most genetically remarkable species. “Genes alone don’t explain complexity. Humans have ~20,000 genes — similar to many other organisms. What makes life complex is how genes are regulated, structured, and connected.”
A brightly patterned butterfly rests on small purple flowers, representing the diversity of life shaped by genomic variation beyond protein-coding genes. “Non-coding DNA is biologically important. Regulatory elements, repeats, and structural variation shape development, health, and evolution — even when they don’t code for proteins.”
If one genome transformed biology, imagine what millions will do.
The Earth BioGenome Project and EBP-affiliated projects worldwide are scaling from a single species to all eukaryotic life — unlocking new insights into evolution, conservation, food systems, and the future bioeconomy.
English: Stylized graphic of a human face formed by colorful horizontal bars (red, yellow, blue, and green) on a dark background. Text reads “Where It All Began” and “Every global genome effort starts with a first success,” with a white arrow pointing forward. Español: Gráfico estilizado de una doble hélice de ADN formada por barras horizontales de colores (rojo, amarillo, azul y verde) sobre un fondo oscuro. El texto dice “Where It All Began” y “Every global genome effort starts with a first success,” con una flecha blanca apuntando hacia adelante.
English: World map illuminated with glowing connection lines across continents, symbolizing global collaboration. Overlaid text explains that the Human Genome Project was the first international effort to assemble an entire genome—3 billion base pairs—and laid the foundation for initiatives like the Earth BioGenome Project to scale from one species to all life. Español: Mapa del mundo iluminado con líneas brillantes que conectan los continentes, simbolizando la colaboración global. El texto superpuesto explica que el Proyecto Genoma Humano fue el primer esfuerzo internacional para ensamblar un genoma completo—3 mil millones de pares de bases—y sentó las bases para iniciativas como el Earth BioGenome Project para escalar de una especie a toda la vida.
One genome changed everything.
The Human Genome Project showed us that:
• reference genomes are scientific infrastructure
• open data accelerates discovery
• collaboration makes scale possible
Those same principles now power a far bigger vision — understanding life across the entire Tree of Life. 🌳🧬
🌲Western redcedar, BC’s provincial tree, faces climate, drought & pest threats. Thanks to Genome BC and Genome Canada researchers are using genomics to breed stronger, resilient trees—cutting timelines from 20 years to 4 🌱
#GenomicsSavesTrees
Welcome to the growing global network! 🌊🧬
24.02.2026 21:33 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
We’re excited to welcome Ocean Genome Legacy as part of the growing EBP network 🌊🧬
Their long-standing leadership in marine biodiversity genomics and specimen stewardship brings tremendous strength to the global effort to sequence life across the Tree of Life.
🔊 Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn all about annotating eukaryotic genomes in this online course offered by @earlhaminst.bsky.social!
📅 Registration deadline: March 22
More information below 👇
#genome #annotation #workshop #training @ebpgenome.bsky.social
Alt EN: Image shows a pale pink axolotl underwater with feathery external gills and soft, diffused light, resting on aquatic plants and rock. Text on image: “Represent a key evolutionary transition. As some of the first vertebrates to move from water to land, they illuminate the evolution of limbs, lungs, skin, and terrestrial life.” Alt ES: Imagen de un ajolote rosado pálido bajo el agua, con branquias externas plumosas y luz suave, apoyado sobre plantas acuáticas y una roca. Texto en la imagen: “Representan una transición evolutiva clave. Como algunos de los primeros vertebrados en pasar del agua a la tierra, iluminan la evolución de las extremidades, los pulmones, la piel y la vida terrestre.”Alt ES: Imagen de una rana Corroboree del sur de color amarillo brillante con franjas negras, posada sobre musgo verde intenso. Texto en la imagen: “Los genomas de referencia ayudan a combatir enfermedades graves. Patógenos como la quitridiomicosis han causado declives globales. Los genomas permiten estudiar la respuesta inmune, la resistencia y la interacción huésped-patógeno.”
Alt EN: Image shows a striped salamander resting on a mossy forest floor with green vegetation and soil visible. Text on image: “They have some of the most complex genomes known. Large and repetitive genomes drive advances in sequencing technologies and analysis.” Alt ES: Imagen de una salamandra rayada descansando sobre un suelo de bosque cubierto de musgo y vegetación verde. Texto en la imagen: “Tienen algunos de los genomas más complejos conocidos. Los genomas grandes y repetitivos impulsan avances en las tecnologías de secuenciación y análisis.”
The global EBP network of genome sequencing centres is pushing the boundaries of amphibian genomics — accelerating discovery and advancing the mission to generate reference genomes for all eukaryotic life on Earth.🧬🌍
@vertebrategenomes.bsky.social @sangerinstitute.bsky.social @ergabiodiv.bsky.social
Alt EN: Image shows a bright green red-eyed tree frog with vivid red eyes and orange toes perched on a green leaf against a dark green background. Text on image (Spanish and English): “¿Secuenciando genomas de referencia eucariotas? Únete al esfuerzo global. / Sequencing eukaryotic reference genomes? Join the global effort.” Alt ES: Imagen de una rana arbórea verde de ojos rojos con ojos rojos brillantes y dedos anaranjados posada sobre una hoja verde con fondo verde oscuro. Texto en la imagen (en español e inglés): “¿Secuenciando genomas de referencia eucariotas? Únete al esfuerzo global. / Sequencing eukaryotic reference genomes? Join the global effort.”
Alt EN: Image shows a collage of diverse amphibians on a black background, including colorful frogs, salamanders, newts, axolotl, and caecilians arranged around text. Text on image: “Why sequence amphibian genomes?” Alt ES: Imagen de un collage de diversos anfibios sobre fondo negro, incluyendo ranas coloridas, salamandras, tritones, un ajolote y cecilias, dispuestos alrededor del texto. Texto en la imagen: “Why sequence amphibian genomes?”
🧬🌍 Sequencing #amphibian genomes? Help close one of the biggest gaps in the Tree of Life.
From tiny genomes to mega-genomes, every species deserves a place in the Genome Library of Life.
📩 Get in touch and join the global effort to sequence life on Earth. 🧬💻✨
#EBP links 🔗→ linktr.ee/earthbiogeno...
Alt EN: Image shows a large green and brown American bullfrog partially submerged in bright green duckweed, with only its head and eyes above the water. Text on image: “Inform invasive species management. Sequencing invasive amphibians, like the American bullfrog, helps track introductions, spread, and rapid adaptation.” Alt ES: Imagen de una rana toro americana grande, verde y marrón, parcialmente sumergida entre lentejas de agua verde brillante, con la cabeza y los ojos sobre la superficie. Texto en la imagen: “Informan la gestión de especies invasoras. Secuenciar anfibios invasores, como la rana toro americana, ayuda a rastrear introducciones, expansión y adaptación rápida.”
Alt EN: Image shows a smooth, legless caecilian lying on wet soil and leaf litter in a forest floor setting. Text on image: “Fill major gaps in the Tree of Life. Amphibians remain underrepresented in genomic databases. Sequencing them strengthens phylogeny and comparative research across vertebrates.” Alt ES: Imagen de una cecilia lisa y sin patas sobre suelo húmedo y hojarasca en el suelo del bosque. Texto en la imagen: “Llenan grandes vacíos en el Árbol de la Vida. Los anfibios siguen poco representados en las bases de datos genómicas. Secuenciarlos fortalece la filogenia y la investigación comparativa en vertebrados.”
🧩 From #salamanders with some of the largest, most complex genomes to #invasive species like the American #bullfrog, #amphibian genomics is pushing #sequencing forward — while filling major gaps in the #vertebrate Tree of Life.🧬💻
Big thanks to @crawfordaj.bsky.social for helping shape this post! 🧬✨
Alt EN: Image shows a pale pink axolotl underwater with feathery external gills and soft, diffused light, resting on aquatic plants and rock. Text on image: “Represent a key evolutionary transition. As some of the first vertebrates to move from water to land, they illuminate the evolution of limbs, lungs, skin, and terrestrial life.” Alt ES: Imagen de un ajolote rosado pálido bajo el agua, con branquias externas plumosas y luz suave, apoyado sobre plantas acuáticas y una roca. Texto en la imagen: “Representan una transición evolutiva clave. Como algunos de los primeros vertebrados en pasar del agua a la tierra, iluminan la evolución de las extremidades, los pulmones, la piel y la vida terrestre.”Alt ES: Imagen de una rana Corroboree del sur de color amarillo brillante con franjas negras, posada sobre musgo verde intenso. Texto en la imagen: “Los genomas de referencia ayudan a combatir enfermedades graves. Patógenos como la quitridiomicosis han causado declives globales. Los genomas permiten estudiar la respuesta inmune, la resistencia y la interacción huésped-patógeno.”
Alt EN: Image shows a striped salamander resting on a mossy forest floor with green vegetation and soil visible. Text on image: “They have some of the most complex genomes known. Large and repetitive genomes drive advances in sequencing technologies and analysis.” Alt ES: Imagen de una salamandra rayada descansando sobre un suelo de bosque cubierto de musgo y vegetación verde. Texto en la imagen: “Tienen algunos de los genomas más complejos conocidos. Los genomas grandes y repetitivos impulsan avances en las tecnologías de secuenciación y análisis.”
The global EBP network of genome sequencing centres is pushing the boundaries of amphibian genomics — accelerating discovery and advancing the mission to generate reference genomes for all eukaryotic life on Earth.🧬🌍
@vertebrategenomes.bsky.social @sangerinstitute.bsky.social @ergabiodiv.bsky.social
Alt EN: Bright blue poison dart frog sitting on vibrant green moss in a rainforest environment. Text on image: "They are early warning systems for ecosystem health. Their sensitivity to pollution, climate change, and disease reveals environmental stress at the molecular level." Alt ES: Una rana venenosa azul brillante sobre musgo verde en un entorno de selva húmeda. Texto en la imagen: "Son sistemas de alerta temprana de la salud de los ecosistemas. Su sensibilidad a la contaminación, al cambio climático y a las enfermedades revela el estrés ambiental a nivel molecular."
Alt EN: Image shows a bright yellow and black Southern Corroboree Frog sitting on vivid green moss. Text on image: “Reference genomes help combat serious diseases. Pathogens like chytridiomycosis have caused global declines. Genomes enable study of immune response, resistance, and host–pathogen interactions.” Alt ES: Imagen de una rana Corroboree del sur de color amarillo brillante con franjas negras, posada sobre musgo verde intenso. Texto en la imagen: “Los genomas de referencia ayudan a combatir enfermedades graves. Patógenos como la quitridiomicosis han causado declives globales. Los genomas permiten estudiar la respuesta inmune, la resistencia y la interacción huésped-patógeno.”
🐸 #Amphibians are early warning systems for ecosystem health.
Sensitive to pollution, climate change, and disease, they signal stress long before collapse — written in their genomes.
🦠 #Genomics helps fight #diseases like chytridiomycosis by revealing immune defenses and resistance in real time.🖥️🧬
Alt EN: Colorful collage of diverse amphibians including frogs, salamanders, newts, caecilians, and an axolotl arranged on a black background. Text on image: "Why sequence amphibian genomes?" Alt ES: Collage colorido de diversos anfibios incluyendo ranas, salamandras, tritones, cecilias y un ajolote sobre un fondo negro. Texto en la imagen: "¿Por qué secuenciar los genomas de los anfibios?"
Alt EN: A tiny brown frog perched on a person’s fingertip, highlighting its small size and delicate features. Text on image: "More than 40% of amphibian species are at risk of extinction. Genomes help identify genetic vulnerability, resilience, and adaptive potential for targeted conservation." Alt ES: Una pequeña rana marrón posada sobre la yema del dedo de una persona, destacando su diminuto tamaño y fragilidad. Texto en la imagen: "Más del 40% de las especies de anfibios están en riesgo de extinción. Los genomas ayudan a identificar vulnerabilidad genética, resiliencia y potencial adaptativo para una conservación dirigida."
🌍✨ Why sequence amphibian genomes?
🚨 More than 40% of amphibian species are at risk of extinction.
🧬 Their genomes reveal vulnerability, resilience, and adaptive potential — helping conservation act before populations are lost.
🐸 Proteger a los anfibios es proteger el futuro de la biodiversidad. 💻🧬
🪲🦋🐝 The workshops help build local capacity for pollinator monitoring in Cyprus, training citizen scientists and introducing #genomic tools to support conservation of endemic species @horizoneu.bsky.social @birdlifecyprus.bsky.social @ebpgenome.bsky.social @biogeneurope.bsky.social #citizenscience
17.02.2026 10:52 — 👍 5 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
Mark Blaxter from @sangerinstitute.bsky.social describes the ambition of the @ebpgenome.bsky.social to #Biology26 in Switzerland
13.02.2026 12:53 — 👍 18 🔁 8 💬 0 📌 0
Reminder! Join us next Monday for the #ERGAPlenary — this month featuring a talk by @scaioc.bsky.social about Genomes on a Tree #GoaT 🐐
@sangerinstitute.bsky.social @ebpgenome.bsky.social #genomes #database #science #community
Image 2 (quote from outgoing chair) Alt text: Portrait of Dr. Federica Di Palma on the left, wearing glasses and a light blazer, set against a green background. To the right is a quote that reads: “The ISC has been central to building the shared standards and practices that make EBP scalable and globally connected. I’m delighted to hand over to Kerstin, whose leadership and scientific vision are exactly what EBP needs as we move into the next phase.” — Dr. Federica Di Palma, Outgoing Chair, EBP ISC. Image 3 (quote from incoming chair) Alt text: Portrait of Dr. Kerstin Howe on the right, smiling and wearing glasses, against a patterned background. To the left is a quote that reads: “As incoming Chair, I would like to thank Federica for her leadership in shaping the committee’s scientific direction and ways of working. Her contributions have had a lasting impact and leave a strong foundation for the next phase of our work.” — Dr. Kerstin Howe, Incoming Chair, EBP ISC.
Sincere thanks to Dr Federica Di Palma for her leadership as outgoing Chair. 🧬🌍
🖥️🧬 This transition reflects the strength of EBP’s global scientific community as we advance biodiversity genomics worldwide.
@scienceisglobal.bsky.social | @genomebc.bsky.social | @sangerinstitute.bsky.social
A stylized, colorful mosaic world map on a black background. Text reads: “Welcoming the new Chair of the EBP International Scientific Committee: Dr. Kerstin Howe.” A portrait of Dr. Kerstin Howe appears on the right; she is smiling, wearing glasses, and leaning slightly forward.
We’re pleased to welcome Dr Kerstin Howe (Wellcome Sanger Institute) as the new Chair of the Earth BioGenome Project International Scientific Committee. Involved since EBP’s inception in 2018, she previously chaired the Scientific Subcommittee on Sequencing & Assembly. 🧬🌍
@kerstinhowe.bsky.social
🌍✨ Genome sequencing the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — a Darwin Tree of Life effort, one plant or fungus at a time.
When Kew’s botanical and mycological expertise meets the Tree of Life Programme’s sequencing power, we unlock the evolutionary stories within these collections.
@kewgardens.bsky.social
🎉 5,000+ genome assemblies sequenced!
EBP affiliates are building momentum, and we’re already looking ahead to the next genome sequencing milestone on the road to 2026.
Congratulations to everyone who worked together to make this happen. Happy holidays and a happy New Year! ✨🧬