During 3 days, all BGE members will discuss and work on the next steps to pursue the main purpose of the project: to accelerate the use of genomic science to understand and monitor biodiversity changes and guide interventions to address its decline. With over 30 partners from more than 20 countries, the project intends to identify 500 reference genomes of European species and over 10,000 DNA barcodes.

To deliver this, BGE brings together two newly-formed consortia: BIOSCAN Europe, which focuses on DNA barcoding, and the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA), which focuses on reference genome sequencing.

Rosa Fernández, IBE group leader and newly-elected member of the executive board of ERGA as Scientific Officer, will be host to the BGE meeting at the IBE headquarters in Barcelona. The event will be held from the 13th to the 15th of November 2023 and will have a hybrid format.

More about the Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) project

The BGE project addresses the global biodiversity crisis using DNA data. It brings together participants from over 20 countries and applies genomics comprehensively to biodiversity research, with the potential to reshape conservation science and policy, on a scale similar to the Human Genome Project's impact in medicine. The project is co-funded by the European Union, UK Research and Innovation and the Swiss Government with over 21 million euros.

One in four species worldwide is currently at risk of extinction, making genomics a vital tool for understanding and responding to environmental pressures. BGE focuses on DNA barcoding and genome sequencing to accelerate the inventory of Earth's biodiversity and provide insights into species' responses to environmental changes, with a mission to promote these transformative genomic techniques across Europe.