Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) Project: Abridged Grant Proposal

Dimitris Koureas; Pedro Beja; Mark Blaxter; Astrid Böhne; Sarah Bourlat; Torbjørn Ekrem; Brent Emerson; Katharina Heil; José Melo-Ferreira; Ben Price; Rutger Vos; Wouter Addink; Tyler Alioto; Filippos Aravanopoulos; Jonas Astrin; Jean-Marc Aury; Ian Barnes; Claudia Bruschini; Elena Buzan; Guy Cochrane; Tamás Cserkész; Thanos Dailianis; Elza Duijm; Glenn Dunshea; Rosa Fernández; Sónia Ferreira; Giulio Formenti; Sara Fratini; Konstantinos Gkagkavouzis; Carole Goble; Michal Grabowski; Bjorn Grüning; Ivo Gut; Marta Gut; Peter Harrison; Axel Hausmann; Jacob Höglund; Laura Iacolina; Alessio Iannucci; Kjetill Jakobsen; Urmas Kõljalg; Henrik Lantz; Harris Lewin; Jan Macher; Tereza Manousaki; Fergal Martin; Ximo Mengual; Pedro Oliveira; Rebekah Oomen; Michael Raupach; Ana Riesgo; Hugues Roest Crollius; Anna Somogyi; Torsten Struck; Hannes Svardal; Ave Tooming-Klunderud; Alexandros Triantafyllidis; Olga Vinnere Pettersson; Maximilian Wagner; Patrick Wincker; Ni Yan; Jose Alonso; Ana Casino; Claudio Ciofi; Gabriela Daňková; Peter Hollingsworth; Mara Lawniczak; Camila Mazzoni; Robert Waterhouse

doi:10.3897/rio.12.e187550

Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) Project: Abridged Grant Proposal

Dimitris Koureas
, Pedro Beja
, Mark Blaxter
, Astrid Böhne
, Sarah Bourlat
, Torbjørn Ekrem
, Brent Emerson
, Katharina Heil
, José Melo-Ferreira
, Ben Price
, Rutger Vos
, Wouter Addink
, Tyler Alioto
, Filippos Aravanopoulos
, Jonas Astrin
, Jean-Marc Aury
, Ian Barnes
, Claudia Bruschini
, Elena Buzan
, Guy Cochrane

Tamás Cserkész, Thanos Dailianis, Elza Duijm, Glenn Dunshea, Rosa Fernández, Sónia Ferreira, Giulio Formenti, Sara Fratini, Konstantinos Gkagkavouzis, Carole Goble, Michal Grabowski, Bjorn Grüning, Ivo Gut, Marta Gut, Peter Harrison, Axel Hausmann, Jacob Höglund, Laura Iacolina, Alessio Iannucci, Kjetill Jakobsen, Urmas Kõljalg, Henrik Lantz, Harris Lewin, Jan Macher, Tereza Manousaki, Fergal Martin, Ximo Mengual, Pedro Oliveira, Rebekah Oomen, Michael Raupach, Ana Riesgo, Hugues Roest Crollius, Anna Somogyi, Torsten Struck, Hannes Svardal, Ave Tooming-Klunderud, Alexandros Triantafyllidis, Olga Vinnere Pettersson, Maximilian Wagner, Patrick Wincker, Ni Yan, Jose Alonso, Ana Casino, Claudio Ciofi, Gabriela Daňková, Peter Hollingsworth, Mara Lawniczak, Camila Mazzoni, Robert Waterhouse

Information Management

Naturalis Biodiversity Center
ASSOCIACAO BIOPOLIS
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT ZUR ANALYSE DES BIODIVERSITATSWANDELS
Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU
Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología
ELIXIR
Natural History Museum
Universitat de Barcelona
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Genoscope
University of Florence
University of Primorska
European Molecular Biology Laboratory
Hungarian Natural History Museum
HELLENIC CENTRE FOR MARINE RESEARCH
Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF)
Rockefeller University
University of Lodz
Albert-Ludwigs-Universitat Freiburg
SNSB - Bavarian State Collection of Zoology
University of Uppsala
University of Oslo
University of Tartu
Arizona State University
Leiden University
University of Agder
National Museum of Natural Sciences
PSL Research University
Universiteit Antwerpen (University of Antwerp)
University of Rijeka
CETAF Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities
Forschungsverbund Berlin eV

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Abstract

The Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) Project has the overarching aim of accelerating the use of genomic science to enhance understanding of biodiversity, monitor biodiversity change, and guide interventions to address its decline. The BGE Project comprises activities focused on DNA Barcoding (Barcoding Stream) and Reference Genome Generation (Genomes Stream) for eukaryotic species across Europe, bringing together two European networks: the International Barcode of Life in Europe (iBOL Europe) and the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA). This publication is an abridged version of the successful grant proposal developed jointly by iBOL Europe and ERGA in response to the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-01.

Two key strands of genomic science form the basis of this proposal: DNA barcoding - sequencing short, standardised genomic regions to tell the world’s species apart, transforming the speed of completion of the inventory of life on Earth and providing the foundations of a global bio-surveillance system for biodiversity; and genome sequencing - generating high-quality complete reference genomes for all species on Earth, transforming understanding of biodiversity at the genetic level, and delivering fundamental knowledge of how biological systems function and how species respond and adapt to environmental change.

The BGE Project objectives are focused on (i) Capacity: To establish functioning biodiversity genomics networks at the European level to connect and grow community capacity to use genomic tools to tackle the biodiversity crisis; (ii) Production: To establish and implement large-scale biodiversity genomic data generation pipelines for Europe to accelerate the production and accessibility of genomic data for biodiversity characterisation, conservation, and biomonitoring; and (iii) Application: To apply genomic tools to enhance understanding of pan-European biodiversity and biodiversity declines to improve the efficacy of management interventions and biomonitoring programmes.

Original language	English
Article number	e187550
Journal	Research Ideas and Outcomes
Volume	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.12.e187550
Publication status	Published - 27 Feb 2026

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10.3897/rio.12.e187550Licence: CC BY

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eScience Lab
Goble, C. (PI), Soiland-Reyes, S. (PI), Andrabi, M. (Researcher), Stewart, A. (Affiliate), Bacall, F. (Researcher), Chadwick, E. (Researcher), Lowe, D. (Technical team), Nenadic, A. (Affiliate), Owen, S. (Researcher), Reed, P. (Researcher), Hambley, A. (Researcher), Sufi, S. A. (Supervisor), Woolland, O. (Technical team), Del-Pinto, W. (Researcher), Sparks, M. (Affiliate), Seip, O. (Affiliate), Slavin, P. (Researcher), Feizollah, A. (Researcher), Rajasekar, A. (PGR student), Suthar, S. A. R. (PGR student), Banerji, A. (Affiliate), Gray, A. (Affiliate), Jay, C. (Affiliate), Herrerias Azcue, F. (Researcher), Xu, F. (Affiliate), Juty, N. (Researcher), Hughes-Noehrer, L. (Affiliate), Yehudi, Y. (PGR student), Missier, P. (Researcher), Stevens, R. (Affiliate) & Aloqalaa, M. (PGR student)
1/01/15 → …
Project: Research
BGE: Biodiversity Genomics Europe
Goble, C. (PI), Soiland-Reyes, S. (CoI) & Juty, N. (Researcher)
1/09/22 → 28/02/26
Project: Research

Cite this

Koureas, D., Beja, P., Blaxter, M., Böhne, A., Bourlat, S., Ekrem, T., Emerson, B., Heil, K., Melo-Ferreira, J., Price, B., Vos, R., Addink, W., Alioto, T., Aravanopoulos, F., Astrin, J., Aury, J.-M., Barnes, I., Bruschini, C., Buzan, E., ... Waterhouse, R. (2026). Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) Project: Abridged Grant Proposal. Research Ideas and Outcomes, 12, Article e187550. https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.12.e187550

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title = "Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) Project: Abridged Grant Proposal",

abstract = "The Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) Project has the overarching aim of accelerating the use of genomic science to enhance understanding of biodiversity, monitor biodiversity change, and guide interventions to address its decline. The BGE Project comprises activities focused on DNA Barcoding (Barcoding Stream) and Reference Genome Generation (Genomes Stream) for eukaryotic species across Europe, bringing together two European networks: the International Barcode of Life in Europe (iBOL Europe) and the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA). This publication is an abridged version of the successful grant proposal developed jointly by iBOL Europe and ERGA in response to the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-01. Two key strands of genomic science form the basis of this proposal: DNA barcoding - sequencing short, standardised genomic regions to tell the world{\textquoteright}s species apart, transforming the speed of completion of the inventory of life on Earth and providing the foundations of a global bio-surveillance system for biodiversity; and genome sequencing - generating high-quality complete reference genomes for all species on Earth, transforming understanding of biodiversity at the genetic level, and delivering fundamental knowledge of how biological systems function and how species respond and adapt to environmental change. The BGE Project objectives are focused on (i) Capacity: To establish functioning biodiversity genomics networks at the European level to connect and grow community capacity to use genomic tools to tackle the biodiversity crisis; (ii) Production: To establish and implement large-scale biodiversity genomic data generation pipelines for Europe to accelerate the production and accessibility of genomic data for biodiversity characterisation, conservation, and biomonitoring; and (iii) Application: To apply genomic tools to enhance understanding of pan-European biodiversity and biodiversity declines to improve the efficacy of management interventions and biomonitoring programmes.",

author = "Dimitris Koureas and Pedro Beja and Mark Blaxter and Astrid B{\"o}hne and Sarah Bourlat and Torbj{\o}rn Ekrem and Brent Emerson and Katharina Heil and Jos{\'e} Melo-Ferreira and Ben Price and Rutger Vos and Wouter Addink and Tyler Alioto and Filippos Aravanopoulos and Jonas Astrin and Jean-Marc Aury and Ian Barnes and Claudia Bruschini and Elena Buzan and Guy Cochrane and Tam{\'a}s Cserk{\'e}sz and Thanos Dailianis and Elza Duijm and Glenn Dunshea and Rosa Fern{\'a}ndez and S{\'o}nia Ferreira and Giulio Formenti and Sara Fratini and Konstantinos Gkagkavouzis and Carole Goble and Michal Grabowski and Bjorn Gr{\"u}ning and Ivo Gut and Marta Gut and Peter Harrison and Axel Hausmann and Jacob H{\"o}glund and Laura Iacolina and Alessio Iannucci and Kjetill Jakobsen and Urmas K{\~o}ljalg and Henrik Lantz and Harris Lewin and Jan Macher and Tereza Manousaki and Fergal Martin and Ximo Mengual and Pedro Oliveira and Rebekah Oomen and Michael Raupach and Ana Riesgo and \{Roest Crollius\}, Hugues and Anna Somogyi and Torsten Struck and Hannes Svardal and Ave Tooming-Klunderud and Alexandros Triantafyllidis and \{Vinnere Pettersson\}, Olga and Maximilian Wagner and Patrick Wincker and Ni Yan and Jose Alonso and Ana Casino and Claudio Ciofi and Gabriela Da{\v n}kov{\'a} and Peter Hollingsworth and Mara Lawniczak and Camila Mazzoni and Robert Waterhouse",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

day = "27",

doi = "10.3897/rio.12.e187550",

language = "English",

volume = "12",

journal = "Research Ideas and Outcomes",

issn = "2367-7163",

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}

Koureas, D, Beja, P, Blaxter, M, Böhne, A, Bourlat, S, Ekrem, T, Emerson, B, Heil, K, Melo-Ferreira, J, Price, B, Vos, R, Addink, W, Alioto, T, Aravanopoulos, F, Astrin, J, Aury, J-M, Barnes, I, Bruschini, C, Buzan, E, Cochrane, G, Cserkész, T, Dailianis, T, Duijm, E, Dunshea, G, Fernández, R, Ferreira, S, Formenti, G, Fratini, S, Gkagkavouzis, K, Goble, C, Grabowski, M, Grüning, B, Gut, I, Gut, M, Harrison, P, Hausmann, A, Höglund, J, Iacolina, L, Iannucci, A, Jakobsen, K, Kõljalg, U, Lantz, H, Lewin, H, Macher, J, Manousaki, T, Martin, F, Mengual, X, Oliveira, P, Oomen, R, Raupach, M, Riesgo, A, Roest Crollius, H, Somogyi, A, Struck, T, Svardal, H, Tooming-Klunderud, A, Triantafyllidis, A, Vinnere Pettersson, O, Wagner, M, Wincker, P, Yan, N, Alonso, J, Casino, A, Ciofi, C, Daňková, G, Hollingsworth, P, Lawniczak, M, Mazzoni, C & Waterhouse, R 2026, 'Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) Project: Abridged Grant Proposal', Research Ideas and Outcomes, vol. 12, e187550. https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.12.e187550

TY - JOUR

T1 - Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) Project

T2 - Abridged Grant Proposal

AU - Koureas, Dimitris

AU - Beja, Pedro

AU - Blaxter, Mark

AU - Böhne, Astrid

AU - Bourlat, Sarah

AU - Ekrem, Torbjørn

AU - Emerson, Brent

AU - Heil, Katharina

AU - Melo-Ferreira, José

AU - Price, Ben

AU - Vos, Rutger

AU - Addink, Wouter

AU - Alioto, Tyler

AU - Aravanopoulos, Filippos

AU - Astrin, Jonas

AU - Aury, Jean-Marc

AU - Barnes, Ian

AU - Bruschini, Claudia

AU - Buzan, Elena

AU - Cochrane, Guy

AU - Cserkész, Tamás

AU - Dailianis, Thanos

AU - Duijm, Elza

AU - Dunshea, Glenn

AU - Fernández, Rosa

AU - Ferreira, Sónia

AU - Formenti, Giulio

AU - Fratini, Sara

AU - Gkagkavouzis, Konstantinos

AU - Goble, Carole

AU - Grabowski, Michal

AU - Grüning, Bjorn

AU - Gut, Ivo

AU - Gut, Marta

AU - Harrison, Peter

AU - Hausmann, Axel

AU - Höglund, Jacob

AU - Iacolina, Laura

AU - Iannucci, Alessio

AU - Jakobsen, Kjetill

AU - Kõljalg, Urmas

AU - Lantz, Henrik

AU - Lewin, Harris

AU - Macher, Jan

AU - Manousaki, Tereza

AU - Martin, Fergal

AU - Mengual, Ximo

AU - Oliveira, Pedro

AU - Oomen, Rebekah

AU - Raupach, Michael

AU - Riesgo, Ana

AU - Roest Crollius, Hugues

AU - Somogyi, Anna

AU - Struck, Torsten

AU - Svardal, Hannes

AU - Tooming-Klunderud, Ave

AU - Triantafyllidis, Alexandros

AU - Vinnere Pettersson, Olga

AU - Wagner, Maximilian

AU - Wincker, Patrick

AU - Yan, Ni

AU - Alonso, Jose

AU - Casino, Ana

AU - Ciofi, Claudio

AU - Daňková, Gabriela

AU - Hollingsworth, Peter

AU - Lawniczak, Mara

AU - Mazzoni, Camila

AU - Waterhouse, Robert

PY - 2026/2/27

Y1 - 2026/2/27

N2 - The Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) Project has the overarching aim of accelerating the use of genomic science to enhance understanding of biodiversity, monitor biodiversity change, and guide interventions to address its decline. The BGE Project comprises activities focused on DNA Barcoding (Barcoding Stream) and Reference Genome Generation (Genomes Stream) for eukaryotic species across Europe, bringing together two European networks: the International Barcode of Life in Europe (iBOL Europe) and the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA). This publication is an abridged version of the successful grant proposal developed jointly by iBOL Europe and ERGA in response to the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-01. Two key strands of genomic science form the basis of this proposal: DNA barcoding - sequencing short, standardised genomic regions to tell the world’s species apart, transforming the speed of completion of the inventory of life on Earth and providing the foundations of a global bio-surveillance system for biodiversity; and genome sequencing - generating high-quality complete reference genomes for all species on Earth, transforming understanding of biodiversity at the genetic level, and delivering fundamental knowledge of how biological systems function and how species respond and adapt to environmental change. The BGE Project objectives are focused on (i) Capacity: To establish functioning biodiversity genomics networks at the European level to connect and grow community capacity to use genomic tools to tackle the biodiversity crisis; (ii) Production: To establish and implement large-scale biodiversity genomic data generation pipelines for Europe to accelerate the production and accessibility of genomic data for biodiversity characterisation, conservation, and biomonitoring; and (iii) Application: To apply genomic tools to enhance understanding of pan-European biodiversity and biodiversity declines to improve the efficacy of management interventions and biomonitoring programmes.

AB - The Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) Project has the overarching aim of accelerating the use of genomic science to enhance understanding of biodiversity, monitor biodiversity change, and guide interventions to address its decline. The BGE Project comprises activities focused on DNA Barcoding (Barcoding Stream) and Reference Genome Generation (Genomes Stream) for eukaryotic species across Europe, bringing together two European networks: the International Barcode of Life in Europe (iBOL Europe) and the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA). This publication is an abridged version of the successful grant proposal developed jointly by iBOL Europe and ERGA in response to the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-01. Two key strands of genomic science form the basis of this proposal: DNA barcoding - sequencing short, standardised genomic regions to tell the world’s species apart, transforming the speed of completion of the inventory of life on Earth and providing the foundations of a global bio-surveillance system for biodiversity; and genome sequencing - generating high-quality complete reference genomes for all species on Earth, transforming understanding of biodiversity at the genetic level, and delivering fundamental knowledge of how biological systems function and how species respond and adapt to environmental change. The BGE Project objectives are focused on (i) Capacity: To establish functioning biodiversity genomics networks at the European level to connect and grow community capacity to use genomic tools to tackle the biodiversity crisis; (ii) Production: To establish and implement large-scale biodiversity genomic data generation pipelines for Europe to accelerate the production and accessibility of genomic data for biodiversity characterisation, conservation, and biomonitoring; and (iii) Application: To apply genomic tools to enhance understanding of pan-European biodiversity and biodiversity declines to improve the efficacy of management interventions and biomonitoring programmes.

U2 - 10.3897/rio.12.e187550

DO - 10.3897/rio.12.e187550

M3 - Article

SN - 2367-7163

VL - 12

JO - Research Ideas and Outcomes

JF - Research Ideas and Outcomes

M1 - e187550

ER -

Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) Project: Abridged Grant Proposal

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BGE: Biodiversity Genomics Europe

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