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The European Reference Genome Atlas ( ERGA ) and the European node of the International Barcode of Life ( iBOL Europe ), two international communities of scientists brought together under the Biodiversity Genomics Europe  Project, are joining forces for “Connections,” a series of blog posts that explore the fascinating world of Biodiversity Genomics  and the intersection of their communities. If you have been following our Connections series so far, you have learned that barcodes help us recognise which “book” of life we are holding, while reference genomes let us read every page. Today, we follow those pages out of the lab into the places where decisions are made. Biodiversity genomics has matured from proof-of-concept to a toolkit that can inform, for example, monitoring, species risk assessment, and management, and even market rules, by turning reads and assemblies into actions that matter for species, habitats, and the people depending on them. The impact pathway usually begins with identification and baselines. DNA barcodes establish who is where. This matters when regulators need quick and reliable evidence to tighten protection for a declining bird population in a wetland. Or when managers must separate look-alike pest species in aquaculture, or when coastal engineers test whether a beach-nourishment scheme is compatible with an endemic fish. Reference genomes deepen the story. They reveal how a species works, what its population structure is, connectivity, and adaptive variation. All clues that tell us if a population can, for instance, cope with heatwaves, if a corridor is worth restoring, and which individuals should contribute to an ex-situ programme. In other words, barcodes inform us of their presence, and genomes explain how they function. Consider fisheries and seafood safety. Genomics applied to widely fished pelagic species can clarify stock boundaries, helping fish stock management plans align with biology rather than old assumptions. At the same time, genomics in commercially harvested clams can support contamination assessment risks more precisely, so that consumer guidance and coastal policies rest on data rather than speculations. In both cases, genomics can improve sustainability and trust: what gets caught, what gets sold, what gets eaten, and what the sea can afford to give. Public health is another frontier where decisions move at the speed of evidence. Genomics of mosquito complexes that transmit West Nile virus allows us to identify cryptic lineages and chemosensory genes tied to behaviour, turning a confusing species complex into a map for outbreak monitoring programmes. From these insights, SNP panels for routine surveillance, early detection of resistance to control measures, and area-specific interventions mandated by regional authorities can be designed. On land, genomics can inform connectivity, reintroduction, and hybridisation policies. For example, in a rare Central European small mammal, its genomic structure showed how a modern drainage canal severed gene flow. The management recommendation is to restore corridors before populations slip past recovery. Alpine chamois and butterflies reveal country-level patterns of diversity and endemism. These data now feed directly into status reviews and legally binding conservation lists. In lowland wetlands, a long-distance migratory passerine with low diversity but ongoing gene flow gains a genetic monitoring plan that guides translocation choices and post-release tracking. Where climate change pushes related hare species into contact, genomic portraits of introgression help hunting and wildlife agencies adjust seasons and safeguards to protect vulnerable mountain lineages. Plants illustrate the same arc from data to decision. Herbs harvested from the wild, dune shrubs that stabilise coasts, and aromatic species adapting to new climates all benefit from genome-enabled surveys that distinguish clonal spread from sexual reproduction, estimate contemporary effective size, and pinpoint variants tied to heat and frost. These findings shape seed-sourcing, habitat management, and Europe-wide genetic monitoring comparable across borders, museums, and herbaria. What ties these stories together is not a single technology, but a way of working. Barcodes and genomes are generated in collaboration with end-users, including park services, fishery bodies, health authorities, farmers, and NGOs. Data are paired with training, screening tools, and communication adapted to local contexts. This results in a lasting impact that takes many forms, from field measurements to management plans, from genome browsers to policy briefs, and from classroom demonstrations to community-run surveys. The book metaphor keeps us honest. Barcodes still tell us which titles we are holding, and reference genomes still let us read every page. But conservation impact starts when we file that book in the right library. We share it with the people who need it and use it to guide choices about land, water, and livelihoods. Biodiversity genomics is now doing exactly that, moving from pages to policies, with benefits that go far beyond the lab bench.

At this month's ERGA Plenary meeting , on Monday, November 17 at 15:00 CET , Joana Paupério and Alexey Sokolov will present about Biodiversity Reference Genomes at ENA (European Nucleotide Archive) and the ERGA Data Portal . Check more information below. Abstract Reference Genomes produced under the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) are being publicly shared through the European Nucleotide Archive ( ENA ) and are accessible through the ERGA Data Portal . The ENA is the European node of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC) that also includes the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and the DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ). These sequence repositories support the archiving of this reference data and collaborate with the community providing resources for the management, sharing and dissemination of data to promote re-use. Here we will present the reference genome data structure at ENA and the service developments to support genomes open and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) data sharing. These include the development of metadata standards with the community for reporting enriched source information and setting up the data structure for increased accessibility and interoperability. Enhancements have also been made to support the upscaling of submissions to ENA, considering the diversity of taxa and genome characteristics. A new model for handling annotation is being developed at the ENA, decoupling annotations from genome records themselves. Cross references to other data types and search services were improved to facilitate reference genome findability and access, with rich metadata to support the uptake in biodiversity research. The ERGA Data Portal (https://portal.erga-biodiversity.eu) provides a single open-access platform ensuring FAIR access to all genome data generated by ERGA. It integrates data and metadata from major international repositories—BioSamples, ENA, Ensembl, BioImage Archive, and Wellcome Open Research—together with cross-references to GoaT, TolQC, and the NBN Atlas. Automated pipelines built with Apache Airflow and Apache Beam continuously harmonise and update the integrated dataset around each unique species taxon. The web portal, built with Angular and FastAPI, offers intuitive search and filtering tools, species-level detail pages, status tracking, and a publications browser. Programmatic access is available through an open API, enabling integration with external tools such as Ensembl dashboards, Jupyter notebooks, and institutional analysis workflows. Analytical and visual layers, powered by BigQuery and Python Dash, provide interactive phylogenetic, geospatial, and metadata dashboards for data exploration. Together, these components create a sustainable and extensible infrastructure supporting ERGA’s mission to deliver high-quality genomic resources for European biodiversity and to promote open, data-driven research and conservation. Speakers Joana Paupério is a Biodiversity Project Manager at the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA, EMBL-EBI), where she is responsible for biodiversity data coordination. She works with the community, understands their needs, and supports data structuring and submission to the sequence archives. She is involved in a number of projects and initiatives working towards FAIR biodiversity genomics data and infrastructure linking. Joana is also co-lead of the ELIXIR Biodiversity Community. Alexey Sokolov is a project lead at EBI, where he is responsible for building scalable, FAIR-compliant data platforms for life-science research. He has contributed to the development of modern genomic data portals and cloud-based analytics ecosystems supporting large international consortia. His work centres on transforming complex, heterogeneous biological data into accessible, well-structured resources that enable researchers to generate new scientific insights. 🔔 To receive the Zoom link and join this and our upcoming plenary meetings, register as an ERGA member . ▶️ You can watch all previous ERGA Plenary talks here . If you would like to suggest a speaker or topic for a future plenary session, please contact us at training@erga-biodiversity.eu . We welcome your input!

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 Rosa Fernández Scientific Officer Elena Bužan Partnership Officer Chiara Bortoluzzi 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

assembly@erga-biodiversity.eu < Back SAC - Sequencing and Assembly Committee assembly@erga-biodiversity.eu The Sequencing and Assembly Committee (SAC) fosters collaboration across the ERGA community by coordinating efforts and providing a platform to exchange ideas on genome sequencing and assembly methods. This inclusive framework helps bring together new and affiliated projects under the ERGA umbrella. Working closely with other committees, genome projects, and consortia, SAC promotes and ensures visibility of up-to-date workflows and standardised pipelines, supporting their alignment with Earth Biogenomes Project (EBP) mission and quality requirements while contributing to their development and adaptation. The committee focuses on end-to-end laboratory and analytical practices that deliver high-quality data for ERGA assemblies, including DNA extraction, library preparation and sequencing across platforms, as well as bioinformatic procedures for integrating data to generate high-quality genomes. The committee encourages the sharing of standardised SOPs, guidance, and troubleshooting advice. In addition, SAC develops and maintains a framework for assembly evaluation to ensure quality standards are met and complex cases are addressed through community feedback, thereby supporting continuous improvement and knowledge sharing. ( V.2.0 01.12.2025) Chair Tyler Alioto Coordinator Diego de Panis Steering Committee Camila Mazzoni Henrik Lantz Jean-Marc Aury Kerstin Howe Nadège Guiglielmoni Looking for assistance and guidance with how to assemble a genome? The Sequencing and Assembly Committee can help! Join our Slack Channel! Here you can post your questions and start conversations with the Sequencing and Assembly community from the ERGA consortium. Use our resources! Here we have a collection of Genome Assembly Workshops collected and curated by the members of the ERGA SAC. Join our mailing list! Send an email to assembly@erga-biodiversity.eu to join the ERGA Sequencing and Assembly mailing list and get regular updates about the activities of the SAC. Present at our meetings! Send and email to assembly@erga-biodiversity.eu to request a slot to present at a SAC meeting if you would like feedback on your project. We can advise on steps to improve an assembly or potential pipelines that you may find useful. Resources 💡 ERGA Knowledge Hub ▶️ ERGA SAC Youtube Playlist 🔗 Galaxy workflow for de-novo genome assembly using PacBio HiFi and HiC data 🔗 Galaxy workflow for de-novo genome assembly using ONT, Illumina WGS and HiC data Connections #9: How Biodiversity Genomics drives conservation impact ERGA News #32 - November 2025 Join the Taxon Sampling SOP Hackathon!

elsi@erga-biodiversity.eu < Back ELSI - Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues elsi@erga-biodiversity.eu The Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) Committee is committed to assisting ERGA in understanding and implementing international guidelines and standards and regional d Digital Sequence Information (DSI) frameworks. Monitoring ethical and legal issues, the committee plays a role in developing best practices for access and benefit sharing, data governance, and wider policy discussions. In practice, ELSI’s efforts include establishing governance frameworks for genomic data collection, management, and sharing in order to ensure that ERGA’s work is consistent with continually changing regulations and ethical standards. The committee supports compliance by providing practical assistance to ERGA researchers through resources, training sessions, and policy insights. Central to this is the committee's dedication to transparency, building trust, and encouraging ethical research in biodiversity genomics. (V.3.0 01.12.2025) Chair Jennifer Leonard Coordinator Christian de Guttry Steering Committee Rebekah Oomen Robert Waterhouse Elena Buzan Amber Hartman Scholz Camila Mazzoni Resources ▶️ Webinar: A Primer on Science Policy for Biodiversity Research Connections #9: How Biodiversity Genomics drives conservation impact ERGA News #32 - November 2025 Join the Taxon Sampling SOP Hackathon!