- The Darwin Tree of Life Project (DToL) focuses on sequencing high-quality genomes for all eukaryotic species in Britain and Ireland, highlighting the importance of accurate organism identification through DNA barcoding.
- DNA barcoding offers a reliable method for species identification and resolving taxonomic ambiguities, but it has not been widely used in projects creating reference genomes until this initiative.
- The project analyzed over 12,000 specimens, revealing that up to 20% needed further verification, leading to name changes for 2% of seed plants and 3.5% of animal specimens, while also suggesting improvements for future sequencing and data analysis.
A genomic database encompassing all eukaryotic species on Earth is crucial for scientific advancements, yet most species lack genomic data.
The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) was initiated in 2018 by global scientists to compile high-quality reference genomes for approximately 1.5 million recognized eukaryotic species.
The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) launched a Pilot Project to create a decentralized model for reference genome production by testing it on 98 species, providing valuable insights into scalability, equity, and inclusiveness for genomic projects.
We present a reference genome assembly from an individual male Violet Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa violacea, Linnaeus 1758). The assembly is 1.02 gigabases in span.