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.