For a digital library of life

For a digital library of life

Context:

Similar to Human Genome Project, scientists have proposed Earth BioGenome Project, a massive project to sequence, catalogue and analyze the genomes of all eukaryotic species on the planet

About Human Genome Project:

• The Human Genome Project was an international research effort to determine the sequence of the human genome and identify the genes that it contain
• The project operated from 1990 to 2003

Significance of the Project:

• It gave scientists a way to link networks of genes with disease and well-being
• The project had major impact in the fields of medicine, biotechnology, and the life sciences.

About Earth BioGenome Project:

• The Project has been envisaged in the paper titled “Earth BioGenome Project: Sequencing life for the future of life” published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
• It proposes a detailed genome-sequence draft of all eukaryote species
• The project has a 10-year road map and hopes to sequence about 1.5 million eukaryote species in three phases.

Prerequisites for the project:

• Innovative computations
• Storage solutions
• Global collaboration

Way Ahead:

• The BioGenome Project has the potential to transform our understanding life on Earth.
• It can pave the way for new innovations in medicine, agriculture, conservation, technology and genomics.