News and Events

Democratising DNA barcoding By Kasia Fantoni OPENBAR – Open Barcoding for All Researchers is a Biodiversity Genomics Europe plus initiative to democratise DNA barcoding across taxa, regions, and research scales through standardised solutions. Third-generation sequencing technologies have enabled ultra-low-cost, high-throughput DNA barcoding using portable platforms such as the ONT MinION. However, technical and financial barriers still limit widespread adoption of decentralised workflows. OPENBAR will consolidate, benchmark, and expand proven protocols to democratise DNA barcoding across taxa, regions, and research

Species discovery, yes. But also genetic diversity Protecting European biodiversity requires not only a detailed assessment of the species present in an ecosystem, but also a full characterization of the genetic diversity of populations. This diversity is what ultimately determines their ability to adapt, recover, and thrive in a changing world. Genomic technologies have drastically improved our ability to monitor biodiversity and guide conservation and restoration policies and actions. Biodiversity Genomics Europe plus (BGE+) builds

BGE+ to implement a €2.75m budget for individual projects BGE+ aims to scale up and scale out the production and application of DNA barcode and genome sequence data during the next 3.5 years. For that purpose, the project will mobilise a distributed network of researchers across Europe, delivering new insights into species and genetic diversity along the way. Not that we have not done this before. In fact, BGE+ will build on the cross-border barcode

Expanding Europe’s DNA Barcoding Capacity for Biodiversity – IBOL Europe DNA barcoding is an essential component of our technological toolkit for effective species discovery, identification, and monitoring in the face of the ongoing biodiversity and climate crises. However, national capacity for its implementation remains limited, and the barcode reference libraries underpinning its use remain incomplete, particularly in Europe’s most biodiverse regions. The Biodiversity Genomics Europe project (BGE, 2023-26) addressed these challenges by supporting new national

Supporting the whole-genome research community through ERGA Producing a reference genome, a detailed map of a species’ DNA, can take years of fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and computer analysis. Its value also depends on what happens afterwards. Researchers need shared standards to assess data quality, places to exchange expertise, and the means to apply genomic information to questions in conservation, agriculture, and ecosystem management. BGE+ will support this wider research community through the European Reference Genome

Biodiversity Genomics Europe is back… with a plus! The Naturalis Biodiversity Center, coordinator of BGE+, hosted the project’s inaugural meeting between June 3rd – 5th, 2026 in Leiden, The Netherlands. The meeting included plenary sessions, parallel break-out sessions, and meetings of the project’s governance bodies – General Assembly, Executive Board, and External Expert Advisory Board. Keynote talk: Do not grow in isolation. Complementarity is crucial Christos Arvanitidis, CEO of LifeWatch ERIC, gave the keynote speech, titled

The value of DNA barcoding Our colleagues from iBOL Europe has just premiered their brand-new, shining video! It introduces the European DNA barcoding community of researchers and practitioners and explains the wide applications of DNA barcoding in biodiversity monitoring, food authentication, and more. The video has been funded by the Biodiversity Genomics Europe project, predecessor to BGE+. Illustrations: Marta Marilungo, Script by Kasia Fantoni, Production: Alberto Abbate.The video is licensed under a CC-BY 4.0 license, so anyone can

A landmark alliance of DNA experts across Europe signals the start of an unprecedented effort to build a continent-wide system that applies genomics for protecting European biodiversity.