Best-practice guidance for Earth BioGenome Project sample collection and processing: progress and challenges in biodiverse reference genome creation
The Earth BioGenome Project has the extremely ambitious goal of generating, at scale, high-quality reference genomes across the entire Tree of Life. Currently in its first phase, the project is targeting family-level representatives and is progressing rapidly. Here we outline recommended standards and considerations in sample acquisition and processing for those involved in biodiverse reference genome creation. These standards and recommendations will evolve with advances in related processes. Additionally, we discuss the challenges raised by the ambitions for later phases of the project, highlighting topics related to sample collection and processing that require further development.
Authors
- Anna K. Childers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0747-8539)
- Duane D. McKenna (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7823-8727)
- Bernardo F. Santos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2634-3066)
- Kevin M. Kocot (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8673-2688)
- Jonathan A. Coddington (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6004-7730)
- Paul Andrew Davis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5545-0824)
- Jeremy G. Wideman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4426-9533)
- Warren E. Johnson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5954-186X)
- Jonas J. Astrin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1961-1162)
- Kerstin Howe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2237-513X)
- Mark Blaxter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2861-949X)
- Cibele G. Sotero-Caio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3112-0000)
- Olga Vinnere Pettersson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5597-1870)
- Mara Lawniczak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3006-2080)
- Verena Ras (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3938-7241)
- Katharine Barker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4788-0223)
Institutions
- Smithsonian Institution (US)
- Uppsala University (SE)
- Agricultural Research Service (US)
- Museum für Naturkunde (DE)
- National Museum of Natural History (US)
- University of Cape Town (ZA)
- University of Alabama (US)
- Science for Life Laboratory (SE)
- Wellcome Sanger Institute (GB)
- Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (US)
- Arizona State University (US)
- University of the Western Cape (ZA)
- University of Memphis (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- GigaScience
- Published
- 2025-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giaf041
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.84
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Vetenskapsrådet
- Science for Life Laboratory
- National Institutes of Health
- Agricultural Research Service
- National Human Genome Research Institute