Projects

Projects and consortia

We are involved in several large consortium projects that require high-quality and chromosome-level genome assemblies.

The Vertebrate Genomes Project

The Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP), a project of the G10K Consortium, aims to generate near error-free, chromosome-level reference genome assemblies of all extant vertebrate species.

The Human Pangenome Reference Consortium

The Human Pangenome Reference Consortium (HPRC) aims to create a new “human pangenome reference” based on the complete genome sequences of 350 individuals representing human diversity.

Cetaceans Genomes Project

The Cetacean Genomes Project (GCP) aims to generate high-quality reference genomes for all Cetacean species. This genomic resources will not only provide relevant biology information about their genomes but will also benefit population-level studies such as determining population structure and breeding structure.

Amazoomics

Project

The AmaZoomics project aims to collect genetic information of Amazon biodiversity. This project will generate the foundation for future conservation, genetic management, and monitoring programs Amazoomics will also help to discover potential biotechnological applications of Amazon biodiversity.

Tabula Madagascar

The Tabula Madagascar project aims to generate high-quality reference genomes and to create a molecular cell atlas for all organisms associated with an entire ecosystem. The first phase of this project focuses on lemurs and their corresponding ecological niche. This Madagascar "Ecosystomics" will provide an example on how to study and preserve biodiversity threaten by anthropogenic activities.

Allen Brain Atlas

We are generating high-quality and chromosome level genomes with the Allen Institutitute for Brain Science. This project aims to generate reference genomes for mapping transcriptome information of different brain regions across vertebrates.

COVID-19 hosts

We use comparative genomics analyses of species that harbor and are resistant to SARS-CoV-2 and serve as host to transmit the virus to humans versus closely related species that are vulnerable to infection, to identify key genetic factors that enable resistance versus vulnerability.

Colossal

Our collaboration with Colossal focuses on generating high-quality reference genomes for endangered and critically endangered species to provide genomic resources for conservation efforts. The first phase of this project encompasses 6 endangered and critically endangered species including 3 elephant species: Asian elephant, African bush elephant and African forest elephant .

Covid-19 Host Genome SV Consortium

This consortium aims to study the host genome’s immune and response to infection, particularly looking for informative structural variants that contribute to SARS-CoV-2 infection, progression, or recovery.

T2T Consortium

This consortium aims to generate the first truly complete, high quality telomere-to-telomere assembly of a human genome.

European Reference

Genome Atlas

The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) initiative is a pan-European scientific response to current threats to biodiversity. Reference genomes provide the most complete insight into the genetic basis that forms each species and represent a powerful resource in understanding how biodiversity functions. With approximately one fifth of the ~200,000 European species at risk of extinction, we need to act fast and together to generate high-quality complete genome resources in large scale.