A biological undertaking as ambitious as the Apollo space program was in its day is now entering a pivotal new stage. Dubbed the Earth BioGenome Project (EBGP), the initiative aims to create a comprehensive digital library of life by obtaining the genetic sequences of 1.67 million species over ten years. With an estimated cost of $4 billion, the project involves 2,200 researchers from 88 countries and is driven by the mission to “sequence life for the future of life.”
Launched in 2020, the project is now moving into its most active phase, powered by genetic sequencing technology that is ten times faster and eight times cheaper than it was just five years ago. This genetic “Noah’s Ark” is envisioned as a strategic tool to ensure food security, advance medicine and agriculture, and deepen our understanding of biodiversity.
The newly launched second of three planned phases builds on a solid foundation; the first phase (2020-2024) successfully published 3,500 genetic maps. Now, with an investment of over $1 billion, the goal is to sequence the DNA of 150,000 species in just four years—a rate of 3,000 genomes per month.
“We have 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 the article’s first author, Mark Blaxter of the Wellcome Sanger Institute. “As species vanish and ecosystems degrade, our goal is to capture and preserve the biological model of life on Earth for future generations.”
Senior author Harris Lewin of Arizona State University emphasized the urgency, stating, “As biodiversity loss increases, our work must also accelerate.” He noted that the rapid development of this digital “genome ark” is transforming genomics from an isolated, costly endeavor into a “global, scalable, and inclusive enterprise.”
A core tenet of the project is inclusivity, recognizing that the world’s southern regions are the richest in biodiversity. Many research groups from these regions are active participants. To support them, the project will deploy mobile laboratories called ‘gBoxes,’ eliminating the need to ship sensitive samples abroad.
“The gBox is not just a lab: it is a symbol of equity in science. By providing local and indigenous researchers with advanced genomic tools, we are giving the Global South the opportunity to contribute to the Earth BioGenome Project on an equal footing,” said another project researcher, Montserrat Corominas of the University of Barcelona.