BGE+ - Biodiversity Genomics Europe Plus
The Biodiversity Genomics Europe plus (BGE+) project aims to establish the foundations of a comprehensive, distributed, and sustainable European biodiversity genomics infrastructure. Building on the achievements of BGE1 (2022–2026), BGE+ harnesses genomic science, specifically DNA barcoding and Whole Genome Sequencing, to address Europe’s taxonomic knowledge gaps, support nature conservation policies (such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the EU Nature Restoration Law), and scale up biodiversity characterization and monitoring.
By linking three major established networks—the International Barcode of Life Europe (iBOL-E), the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA), and the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF), BGE+ bridges distributed research, laboratory workflows, bioinformatics, and policy applications across Europe.
The Biodiversity Genomics Europe plus (BGE+) project runs from May 2026 to October 2029 with a total budget of €11,999,887.50, aiming to establish a comprehensive, distributed, and sustainable European biodiversity genomics system.
Objectives
- Mobilize Communities & Expand Data (O1): Scale up European geographic and species coverage for reference DNA barcodes and genomes using cascade grants (WP2) and structured training initiatives (WP3).
- Eliminate Technical Barriers (O2): Streamline rate-limiting steps in data generation by standardizing low-cost wet-lab protocols—such as historical DNA extraction and field preservation (WP4)—and delivering open, FAIR-by-design bioinformatics pipelines (WP5).
- Drive Policy & Management Uptake (O3): Translate genomic evidence into environmental management and risk assessment (WP6) by co-developing policy roadmaps and Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) for European species and habitats.
- Establish a Permanent System (O4): Lay the operational foundations for a long-term European biodiversity genomics research infrastructure (WP7) integrated with ESFRI networks like DiSSCo and ELIXIR, backed by strengthened node governance within iBOL-E (WP8) and ERGA (WP9).
