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The genetic codes of all animals, plants and fungi in the UK will be sequenced in a mbadive new project that scientists believe should benefit everything from conservation to medicine.
Nicknamed the Darwin Tree of Life Project, the initiative is part of a mbadive global effort to reveal the DNA of all life on Earth.
The code of 66,000 species will be obtained over a decade, offering naturalists unprecedented insights that will revolutionize the study of British wildlife. .
Samples will be collected by teams across the country and the latest technologies will be used to treat thousands of genomes each year in a network of British institutions.
Amidst warnings of a collapse in global biodiversity, scientists say that an understanding of the code that underlies these species will guide efforts to preserve them from extinction
This could also bring huge benefits to humanity, according to researchers the genetic information obtained will likely form the basis of new drugs, foods and even fuels.
The project was launched to coincide with the global program known as the Earth BioGenome Project, which will sequence the genomes of all 1.5 million known species. animals, plants, fungi and protozoa – life forms known collectively as eukaryotes.
1/11
The Mammal Society's Assessment of British Mammalian Populations is the first study of its kind for over 20 years. The results reveal winners and losers, as well as some of the main threats to the country's wildlife, such as habitat loss, invasive species and the spread of disease.
2/11 Hedgehog
Populations of the beloved insectivore may have decreased up to 73%
Richard Bowler
3/11 Greater bats mouse-eared mouse
Only one of these flying mammals was recorded in a rail tunnel in West Susbad
Andrew Harrington
4/11 Rabbits
Although that they are common throughout the countryside, their numbers decreased by almost 10%
Danni Thompson
5/11 Black Rats
Although they are generally not considered as endangered animals, their numbers have collapsed in recent years, largely because of pest control measures. However, their much more common cousins, the brown rats, are in full swing.
Tim Melling
6/11 Red squirrels
Although it is difficult to measure variations in the number of squirrels, their range has shrunk considerably largely to the spread of squirrel pox virus by an invading gray squirrel
Alistair Marsh
7/11 Wildcats
Wildcat populations have experienced a sharp decline (about 200) in Scotland
. Rachel Profit
8/11 Badgers
Thanks to legal protections, badgers have recovered from past persecution and the density of their niches has increased by more than 100% in recent decades
Phil Mumby [19659018] 9/11 Otter
Prohibition of persistent organic pesticides has had a positive effect on the otter population
Allan Chard
10/11 Fallow deer
The 2018 estimate estimates a population size of deer almost three times the size of the is estimated in the 1995 review – a positive trend that is observed in other species of deer.
James Shooter
11/11 The Eurasian Beaver
These aquatic mammals were almost extinct in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, but their reintroduction to the United Kingdom was widely crowned of success
Paul Scott
1/11
The Mammal Society's mammal population badessment is the first of its kind in more than 20 years. The results reveal winners and losers, as well as some of the main threats to the country's wildlife, such as habitat loss, invasive species and the spread of disease.
2/11 Hedgehog
Populations of the beloved insectivore may have decreased by up to 73%
Richard Bowler
3/11 Greater bats mouse-ear mouse
Only one of these flying mammals was recorded in a rail tunnel in West Susbad
Andrew Harrington
4/11 Rabbits
Although that they are common throughout the countryside, their numbers decreased by almost 10%
Danni Thompson
5/11 Black Rats
Although they are generally not considered as endangered animals, their numbers have collapsed in recent years, largely because of pest control measures. However, their much more common cousins, the brown rats, are in full swing.
Tim Melling
6/11 Red squirrels
Although it is difficult to measure changes in the number of squirrels, their range has shrunk considerably in large numbers party to the spread of squirrel pox virus by invading gray squirrel
Alistair Marsh
7/11 Wildcats
Wildcat populations have experienced a sharp decline (about About 200) in Scotland
. Rachel Profit
8/11 Badgers
Thanks to legal protections, badgers have recovered from past persecution and the density of their niches has increased by more than 100% in recent decades
Phil Mumby [19659056] 9/11 Otter
Prohibition of persistent organic pesticides has had a positive effect on the otter population
Allan Chard
10/11 Fallow deer
The 2018 estimate estimates a population size of deer almost three times the size of the is estimated in the 1995 review – a positive trend that is observed in other species of deer.
James Shooter
11/11 The Eurasian beaver
These aquatic mammals were almost extinct in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, but their reintroduction to the United Kingdom was widely crowned of Success
Paul Scott
The Wellcome Sanger Institute near Cambridge will serve as the hub of genome sequencing in the UK, with institutions ranging from the Natural History Museum to the University of Edinburgh . their expertise.
The project would cost about £ 100 million in the first five years.
"More than half of the vertebrate population has been lost in the past 40 years and 23,000 species are at risk of extinction. Professor Sir Mike Stratton, Director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
"By using the biological knowledge that we will get from the genomes of all eukaryotic species, we can rely on our responsibility as guardians of life on this planet, watching life on Earth in a more enlightened way. using these genomes, at a time when nature is under considerable pressure, especially from us. "
The work will build on a previous project of Sanger scientists who observed 25 key British species, including red and gray squirrels, blackbirds and blackberries
The chairman of the Earth BioGenome Project, Professor Harris Lewin of the University of California at Davis, announced British efforts would serve as a model for projects around the world to follow as part of their great mission.
For the United Kingdom, Dr. Tim Littlewood of the Natural History Museum stated that this initiative would allow scientists to re-evaluate their knowledge of well-known species.
"A large part of the UK's species lists and identification guides are now over 100 years old," he said.
"We did not cure our own natural history, nor did we return to it for a very long time in a large system. And we have not looked at it in a modern way.
In recent months and years, it has become clear that the iconic British species, from puffin hedgehogs, are seriously threatened by pollution, industrial agriculture and climate change.
Genetic data can help protect these creatures by revealing their strengths and vulnerabilities, such as their ability to withstand changes in temperature or vulnerability to certain diseases.
They can also reveal the presence of new species that are not immediately obvious until researchers dig into their DNA.
The data from the new project will be stored in a public database so that all members of the scientific community can draw on this knowledge to inform their research.
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