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Explore the cutting-edge world of biodiversity genome sequencing in this lecture that examines how scientists are racing to decode the DNA of life as extinction rates accelerate. Learn about the Wellcome Sanger Institute's ambitious Tree of Life programme, which has sequenced over 3,000 species genomes including plants, animals, fungi, and protists as part of their mission to sequence life for the future of life. Discover how genome sequencing serves as a fundamental tool for understanding biodiversity in unprecedented detail, revealing surprising biological novelties and species secrets that could help save our planet's threatened ecosystems. Understand the collaborative efforts between the Sanger Institute and museums, botanic gardens, and other institutions to source specimens for processing and sequencing, with particular focus on the Darwin Tree of Life project covering species from Britain and Ireland. Gain insights into how these genome sequences are interpreted within ecological and evolutionary contexts, providing new perspectives on species biology and their roles in the natural world. Learn from Mark Blaxter, who leads the Sanger Institute's Tree of Life programme and brings expertise in evolutionary genomics to this critical conservation effort, as he shares findings from thousands of genome sequences across the tree of life and discusses the implications for understanding and preserving biodiversity in an era of environmental crisis.
