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African BioGenome Project to sequence 100,000 endemic species

April 19, 2022

Although 60,000 known plant species and 123,000 known animal species are found in Africa, only 20 plants and 385 animals have been sequenced till date. Even 50% of the orphan crops, which play a crucial role in food security, have not been sequenced. To correct this oversight, the African BioGenome Project was launched in June 2021 as a coordinated, pan-African effort to generate, analyze, and deploy genomics data for the sustainable use of biodiversity and agriculture across Africa.


April 19, 2022


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New project aims to sequence all known eukaryotic species

January 18, 2022

The Earth BioGenome Project, launched in November 2018, is an ambitious undertaking with the goal of sequencing all the existing, named eukaryotes—about 2 million species of fungi, plants, and animals—in a 10-year timeframe. The project was highlighted in “The Earth BioGenome Project: The Launch of a Moonshot for Biology Special Feature” in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


January 18, 2022


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Earth BioGenome Project builds foundation for 10-year sequencing mission

August 27, 2019

The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) is a confederated network of partner organizations and affiliated projects that have a common goal of sequencing and annotating the genomes of all 1.5 million known species of eukaryotes on the planet in 10 years.  The EBP aims to create a digital backbone of sequences from the tree of life that will serve as critical infrastructure for biology, conservation, agriculture, medicine, and the growing global bioeconomy.  


August 27, 2019


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Global Effort to Sequence All Complex Life on Earth Launches

October 31, 2018

The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), a global effort to sequence the genetic code, or genomes, of all 1.5 million known animal, plant, protozoan and fungal species on Earth, officially launches today (1 November) as key scientific partners and funders from around the globe gather in London, UK to discuss progress in organising and funding the project.


October 31, 2018


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Earth BioGenome Project aims to sequence genomes of 1.5M species

April 24, 2018

An international consortium of scientists is proposing a massive project to sequence, catalog and analyze the genomes of all known eukaryotic species on the planet, an undertaking the researchers say will take 10 years, cost $4.7 billion and require more than 200 petabytes of digital storage capacity. Eukaryotes include all organisms except bacteria and archaea. There are an estimated 10-15 million eukaryotic species on Earth. Of those, the team proposes sequencing 1.5 million.


April 24, 2018


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