12 May 2025
ERGA is the first Regional Node of the Earth BioGenome Project
Text by Luísa Marins
Strengthening the biodiversity genomics community in Europe and beyond
We are happy to announce that the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) has formally recognised the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA), BGE’s genome stream, as its first regional node representing the European continent. This marks a significant milestone in the long-standing collaboration between the two initiatives and strengthens the biodiversity genomics community in Europe and beyond.
The first EBP Regional Node
Since the early establishment of ERGA in 2020, ERGA has been connected to the EBP as part of the Network of Affiliated Projects. More recently, the EBP has defined a procedure for the establishment of Regional Nodes – initiatives responsible for “coordinating EBP-related activities across broad geographical areas, including continents and political unions”. In the last years, ERGA has grown into a community of over 1000 members, taking a leading role as a hub for connecting hundreds of people and institutions, producing reference genomes for European biodiversity, and promoting valuable knowledge dissemination and exchange. The broad scope and inclusive nature of the community meant ERGA was well positioned to become the very first regional node of the Earth BioGenome Project. ERGA is delighted to take on this role and excited about the opportunity of contributing to the EBP at a new level.
ERGA as of May, 2025 – a growing community committed to the development of biodiversity genomics in Europe. *Genome assemblies linked to the ERGA umbrella bioproject at the European Nucleotide Archive produced by ERGA Affiliate Initiatives such as the Darwin Tree of Life, the Catalan BioGenome Project, the ATLASea Marine Genomes Project, the Biodiversity Genomics Project, and others.
Quotes from EBP and ERGA Leadership
“As the EBP regional node, ERGA plays an important role in connecting and coordinating efforts in the region, from large-scale projects to individual researchers all contributing to assembling the atlas of reference genomes for biodiversity in Europe”
– Robert Waterhouse, BGE joint network activities coordinator and ERGA chair.
“The official recognition of the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) as the European node of the Earth BioGenome Project marks the culmination of years of dedication by a passionate and engaged community. From the initial brainstorming sessions during the pandemic—with over 100 participants—to the progress made through Biodiversity Genomics Europe and other initiatives, ERGA has grown into a well-known, inclusive community. Together with the growing number of projects under its umbrella, ERGA is now playing a pivotal role in democratising access to high-quality genomics for biodiversity research across Europe.”
– Camila Mazzoni, BGE deputy director (Genome sequencing stream) and ERGA founding chair.
