Global project to map DNA of 1.67M species enters new phase

An unprecedented international effort to catalog the genetic code of life on Earth is entering its second phase, with the aim of sequencing the DNA of 1.67 million species within the next decade, scientists announced on Monday.

The Earth BioGenome Project (EBGP), described as biology’s answer to the Apollo moon landing, brings together 2,200 researchers from 88 countries, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Launched in 2020, the initiative seeks to build a vast “digital bank of life” to protect biodiversity amid accelerating species loss.

Backed by approximately $4 billion in funding, the project has already mapped 3,500 species during its first phase, spanning from 2020 to 2024.

The next four years will focus on sequencing 150,000 species at a rate of 3,000 genomes per month, supported by technological advances that have made sequencing 10 times faster and eight times cheaper than it was five years ago.

“We’ve laid the groundwork for building our digital ‘tree of life,’ and our initial results are already reshaping what we know about evolution, ecosystem function, and biodiversity,” said Mark Blaxter of the UK’s Wellcome Sanger Institute, the study’s first author.

“As species disappear and ecosystems degrade, our goal is to capture and preserve the biological blueprint of life on Earth for future generations.”

Harris Lewin of Arizona State University, senior author of the paper, said the effort must accelerate as biodiversity loss deepens worldwide.

He added that the project is transforming genomics from “isolated and costly sequencing efforts to a global, scalable, and inclusive enterprise.”

Inclusivity is central to the initiative. Many of the biodiversity-rich regions involved are in the Global South, where researchers will have access to mobile laboratories known as “gBoxes.” These portable sequencing labs will allow scientists to analyze samples locally without shipping them abroad.

“The gBox is not just a laboratory: it is a symbol of equity in science,” said Montserrat Corominas of the University of Barcelona.

“By providing local and indigenous researchers with advanced genomic tools, we are giving the Global South the opportunity to contribute on equal terms to the Earth BioGenome Project.”

The project’s coordinators say the digital database will not only preserve endangered species’ genetic blueprints but also support breakthroughs in food security, medicine, agriculture, and ecosystem protection.