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News ERGA 2025: Community Highlights The last ERGA Plenary  of 2025 was an opportunity to look back on a year of progress across our committees, reflecting the strength, diversity, and collaborative spirit of Europe’s biodiversity genomics community. From technical advances to community building, policy development, and social justice, each committee contributed key pieces to ERGA’s shared mission. Click here for an overview of main achievements and ongoing priorities from each of ERGA’s committees. Welcome to the new members of the ERGA Executive Board Tyler Alioto, Kay Lucek, and Stefaniya Kamenova have been elected as ERGA’s new Scientific, Partnership, and Dissemination Officers. We warmly thank outgoing officers Rosa Fernández, Elena Bužan, and Chiara Bortoluzzi for their invaluable contributions! 🐐 GoaT Update Need assistance using the Genomes on a Tree (GoaT) Portal? Here are some useful links! Where can users find Help ? GoaT page help  tabs  Github goat-data wiki Youtube goat channel Where can users ask for help? GoaT page help/contact   Github issues Where to follow progress? Github projects Github issues Events Genome Annotation Workshop 2026 28 - 30 April, 2026 | Online MCEB 2026 Mathematical and Computational Evolutionary Biology 4-8 May - Heraklion, Crete Annual Meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology & Evolution  SMBE 2026  28 June - 2 July | Copenhagen, Denmark World Biodiversity Forum 14-19 June - Davos, Switzerland European Congress of Conservation Biology (ECCB) 2026 6-10 July - Leiden, The Netherlands European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB 2026) 31 August - 3 September 2026 | Geneva, Switzerland From the #ERGABlog Sampling for genomics studies across the tree of life 🎧 Genomic Connections # 7 - Bringing data to life: Biodiversity genomics applications Uncovering the evolution of Mediterranean soft corals with genomics Useful links HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE? Click and Submit to ERGANews! Click her e to become an ERGA Member Public EVENTS calendar here  - add this to your Calendar or iCalendar! 💬 Follow us on social media! BlueSky LinkedIn YouTube

To celebrate the many great achievements of our community this year, we present a showcase of 2025 highlights from across ERGA. The last ERGA Plenary of 2025 was an opportunity to look back on a year of progress across our committees, reflecting the strength, diversity, and collaborative spirit of Europe’s biodiversity genomics community. From technical advances to community building, policy development, and social justice, each committee contributed key pieces to ERGA’s shared mission. Below, we highlight some of the main achievements and ongoing priorities from each of ERGA’s committees . Missed it? Watch the recording of the December Plenary Meeting. Executive Board 2025 marked a milestone year for the ERGA Executive Board : ERGA was formally recognized as the European Regional Node of the Earth BioGenome Project ( EBP ). The first two ERGA national nodes, ERGA Slovenia and ERGA Switzerland, received official recognition. 2025 was the first year in which ERGA operated with a complete Executive Board of nine members as set out in the Governance Document   Sampling & Sample Processing (SSP) Committee The SSP Committee  continued to lead ERGA’s efforts on best practices for sampling. Organized the first very successful Taxon Sampling SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) “Hackathon” , bringing together experts across the tree of life. Advanced several manuscripts, with one currently under revision and others in preparation. Prepared the first set of taxon-specific sampling SOPs, scheduled for publication in early 2026. Sequencing & Assembly Committee (SAC) The lively SAC  focused on coordination of sequencing efforts, troubleshooting, and future-facing sequencing strategies. Facilitated community discussions on long-read sequencing approaches and assembly best practices. Contributed feedback to the EBP on assembly recommendations  and engaged with the Tree of Life Genome Forum. Began planning a BioHackathon Europe proposal for 2026 to support hands-on community problem-solving. Annotation Committee Supporting high-quality, standardized genome annotations remained a core focus of the Annotation Committee. Ongoing development of an annotation reporting tool aligned with ERGA reporting standards, initiated during the BioHackathon Europe 2025. Began preparations for a the Annotation Training School next year (if you are interested in this initiative, please reach out: annotation@erga-biodiversity.eu ) Data Analysis Committee The Data Analysis Committee ( DAC ) supported harmonized downstream use of ERGA genomes. Continued of the successful ERGA BioGenome Analysis & Application Seminar  Series with 5 interesting talks and thousands of views.  Participated in this year’s BioHackathon Europe  working on a Snakemake workflow to build phylogenomic trees from BUSCO genes. Established the Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) - Working Group  which has been meeting and progressing regularly. IT & Infrastructure Committee Ensuring robust data management and provenance tracking is the central mission of the ITIC . Developed several data provenance and management guidelines, covering the full lifecycle from sampling to publication. (Check the guidelines in our Zenodo community page ) Strengthened collaboration with external portals and repositories such as ENA  and GoaT  to align standards and metadata. Ethics, Legal & Social Issues (ELSI) Committee The ELSI  Committee focuses on critical policy and governance work. Released an information brief and the ERGA position on Digital Sequence Information . Progressed a manuscript on non-monetary benefit sharing in biodiversity genomics. Initiated revisions to ERGA’s privacy policy to reflect evolving data practices. Media & Communications Committee The Media & Communications Committee  strengthened ERGA’s visibility and outreach. Expanded ERGA’s website , newsletter , and social media presence , reaching new audiences. Supported outreach activities around major events and conferences, such as ESEB2025  and the Genomics for Biodiversity Conference . Began work with a design company on a new ERGA visual identity, planned for release in 2026. Citizen Science Committee The Citizen Science Committee 's main focus is stakeholder engagement: Published the review article “ Biodiversity Genomics Research Practices Require Harmonising to Meet Stakeholder Needs in Conservation ” as part of a Molecular Ecology Special Issue. Conducted a stakeholder engagement survey, with a manuscript planned for publication in 2026. Started working on a “biodiversity genomics alphabet” to support public-facing communication. Training & Knowledge Transfer Committee The Training & Knowledge Transfer ( TKT ) Committee committee focused on capacity building and resource sharing. Expanded the ERGA Knowledge Hub  with more training materials and a new section for events. Played a key role in the organization of the EMBO course in genome sequencing, assembly, curation, and downstream analyses. knowledge.erga-biodiversity.eu Social Justice Committee Embedding equity and ethics into ERGA’s structures is the central goal of the Social Justice Committee . Advanced a social justice positioning statement for ERGA. Started work on a social justice teaching module, to be integrated into the Knowledge Hub  in 2026. Looking Ahead Together, these updates reflect a community that is not only producing genomes, but also building the infrastructure, standards, policies, and inclusive culture needed to sustain biodiversity genomics in Europe for the long term. As ERGA moves into 2026, the continued collaboration across committees will remain key to turning shared vision into lasting impact. We thank each and every ERGA member for their commitment and contributions. A special thanks to our dedicated committee members who generously gave their time to support the community. It is inspiring to see ERGA continue to grow, and we look forward to fostering even more exciting interactions and collaborations in the future. See you in 2026!

About the hotspot  Georgia is situated in the heart of the Caucasus, where wetlands, lakes, forests, and rocky slopes support numerous endemic and threatened species. Climate change is already reshaping these ecosystems, making locally grounded monitoring and conservation urgent. Yet Georgia remains a genomic blind spot: many species on the national IUCN Red List still lack DNA barcodes and reference genomes, limiting evidence-based management and adaptation planning. Did you know? Georgia lies within the Greater Black Sea ecoregion (a WWF “priority place”) and overlaps two global biodiversity hotspots recognised by Conservation International: the Caucasus and Iran–Anatolian hotspots. About the activity In June 2024, the GEORBLITZ team ran two citizen-science BioBlitzes to kick-start biodiversity recording and genomics awareness: Lisi Lake (Tbilisi, 8 June) and the Kutaisi Botanical Garden (14 June). Local community members teamed up with experts and students from Ilia State University (ISU) for hands-on sessions. Participants practiced standard field methods, net sweeping, foliage beating, hand collection, and worked in three taxon-focused groups (Diptera, Coleoptera, and Amphibia/Reptilia). Specimens were labelled in ethanol for observation, with material set aside for future genetic analyses. They were examined under microscopes under guidance from specialists. On-site educational stands with preserved and live specimens sparked conversations about how DNA barcodes and reference genomes inform species assessment, conservation, and restoration. Photo Gallery: Some of the species spotted during the GEORBLITZ activities. Field observations spanned reptiles (e.g., dice snake, spur-thighed tortoise), amphibians (marsh frog, green toad), arthropods (house centipede, Alpiscorpius  scorpions), birds (from reed warblers and swifts to orioles and jays), and even mammals (Caucasian squirrel), underscoring the conservation value of urban-adjacent green spaces. The initiative also reached a wider audience through Georgian national TV, which reported live from the Lisi Lake event. Explore observations / contribute: Lisi Lake iNaturalist project:   https://inaturalist.ca/projects/bioblitz-lisi-lake-2024 Kutaisi Botanical Garden iNaturalist project:  https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/bioblitz-kutaisi-botanic-garden-2024 Media: Live TV report (Lisi Lake):   https://www.facebook.com/share/v/TVwW31FwVNcjS71R/?mibextid=SphRi8 Photo credits:  School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University; Giorgi Iankoshvili. This initiative was funded through Biodiversity Genomics Europe ( BGE ), a project funded by the European Union's Horizon Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Framework Programme:

The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) initiative is a pan-European scientific response to current threats to biodiversity. Reference genomes provide the most complete insight into the genetic basis that forms each species and represent a powerful resource in understanding how biodiversity functions. With approxima HOME A GENOME ATLAS OF EUROPEAN BIODIVERSITY The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) initiative is a pan-European scientific response to current threats to biodiversity. Reference genomes provide the most complete insight into the genetic basis that forms each species and represent a powerful resource in understanding how biodiversity functions. With approximately one fifth of the ~200,000 European species at risk of extinction, we need to act fast and together to generate high-quality complete genome resources in large scale. Science needs genomes to understand biodiversity, biodiversity needs to be understood to be protected. HIGHLIGHTS Sampling for genomics studies across the tree of life Uncovering the evolution of Mediterranean soft corals with genomics Welcome to the new members of the ERGA Executive Board! EVENTS Sampling for genomics studies across the tree of life Join the Taxon Sampling SOP Hackathon! Biodiversity Reference Genomes at ENA and the ERGA Data Portal Open to Collaborate ERGA is committed to the development of new modes of collaboration, engagement, and partnership with Indigenous peoples for the care and stewardship of past and future heritage collections. Calls OUR MISSION 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 WHAT WE DO Establishing high-quality reference genomes requires an interdisciplinary workflow From species to genomes … and beyond. From species selection to data analysis, the process of creating reference genomes for the entire biodiversity will involve a deep synergy among museums, research institutes, universities, sequencing centres, bioinformatics and computational groups. Citizens will also play an important role supporting the inclusion of all types of species. WHAT WE AIM FOR Creating and consolidating a collaborative and interdisciplinary network of scientists across Europe and associated countries Connecting relevant infrastructure across Europe following a distributed model that can dynamically increase Propagating guidelines for state-of-the-art genome establishment through training and knowledge transfer Next La comunidad ERGA tiene como objetivo optimizar la producción de genomas de referencia mediante el desarrollo y el intercambio de protocolos y flujos de trabajo, brindando acceso a recursos y apoyando el desarrollo de capacidades a través de la transferencia de conocimientos - para mejorar y ampliar el uso de datos genómicos para la protección y restauración de la biodiversidad Next OUR PROJECTS ERGA Pilot The Pilot Project was launched to demonstrate the feasibility of continent-wide collaboration. It was established, funded, and driven entirely by its members. Read more >> Biodiversity Genomics Europe ERGA has recently been funded as part of the Biodiversity Genomics Europe project through the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action. Read more ERGA Community Genomes Are you planning or developing a reference genome project of a European species? Join the growing family of ERGA Community G enomes! Read mo re “Species conservation is urgent and demands deep knowledge of the genetic features of their populations. A coordinated effort to generate complete reference genomes for all European biodiversity, such as what we are proposing with ERGA, can give us the whole picture about the adaptive differences and extent of a need for genetic rescue among populations and species.” Dr. Camila Mazzoni, Founding Chair, ERGA. Research Group Leader Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin, Germany

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Executive Board Council of Countries Committees Our Partners Pilot Project Former Contributors top OUR COMMUNITY ERGA is an bottom-up initiative based on people, consisting of hundreds of scientists across the entire European continent and beyond. Research institutions, infrastructure facilities as well as partner genome projects will play an important role within ERGA. Finally, ERGA will have a focus on societal needs particularly related to Biodiversity conservation. For that purpose, ERGA will work engaging governmental and non-governmental entities and will closely involve citizens in different actions. Executive Board Executive Board executive-board@erga-biodiversity.eu Robert Waterhouse Chair Ann Mc Cartney Vice Chair Olga Vinnere Pettersson Vice Chair Tyler Alioto Scientific Officer Kay Lucek Partnership Officer Stefaniya Kamenova Dissemination Officer Lada Lukić Bilela Social Integration Officer Camila Mazzoni Funding Opportunities Officer Jaakko Pohjoismäki Genomic Outreach Officer List of Former Executive Board Members > Council of Country Representatives Contact the national representatives for more information on the ERGA community in your country! Andorra Andorra@erga-biodiversity.eu Manel Niell List of Former Council Members > Council of Countries Committees SSP - Sampling & Sample Processing samples@erga-biodiversity.eu More > DAC - Data Analysis Committee analysis@erga-biodiversity.eu More > Media & Communications media@erga-biodiversity.eu More > Social Justice Committee socialjustice@erga-biodiversity.eu More > SAC - Sequencing and Assembly Committee assembly@erga-biodiversity.eu More > ITIC - IT & Infrastructure Committee itinfra@erga-biodiversity.eu More > CS - Citizen Science citizenscience@erga-biodiversity.eu More > Annotation Committee annotation@erga-biodiversity.eu More > ELSI - Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues elsi@erga-biodiversity.eu More > TKT - Training and Knowledge Transfer training@erga-biodiversity.eu More > Committees Our Partners Our Partners ERGA is the pan-European partner of the Earth Biogenome Project (EBP) Affiliated Initiatives Associated Partners Pilot Project Pilot Project Committee Coordinators pilot@erga-biodiversity.eu Giulio Formenti Alice Mouton Ann Mc Cartney Learn more about the Pilot Project Former Contributors SSP - Sampling & Sample Processing Committee Filter by Type Astrid Böhne (Former Committee Chair) Former Contributors