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Earth Biogenome Project: Learn Its Purpose, Importance, Challenges & More!
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The Earth Biogenome Project (EBP) is a global initiative. It aims to sequence the genetic code of all known eukaryotic species on Earth. The project was officially launched in 2018 and will take about 10 years to complete. Eukaryotes are organisms whose cells have a nucleus enclosed within a membrane. This includes animals, plants, fungi, and protists.
The EBP is a collaborative effort involving scientists worldwide to sequence the genomes of all 1.5 million known eukaryotic species on Earth.
Earth Biogenome Project is an important topic for the UPSC IAS Examination. It comes under the Environment and Ecology section of General Studies Paper 3.
In this article, we shall discuss the Earth biogenome project and its purpose. We will also discuss its target, importance, and various challenges faced.
Download the PDF on Earth Biogenome Project notes for the UPSC Exam only.
Check out Environment UPSC Notes for more topics.
What is the Earth Biogenome Project (EBP)?
Earth Biogenome Project (EBP) was proposed in a paper titled “Earth Biogenome Project: Sequencing Life for Future of Life”. It was started by taking inspiration from the success of the “Human Genome Project,” which was completed in 2003. The project depends on advances in automation, informatics, genome sequencing, artificial intelligence, and informatics that make it possible to sequence the genes of every creature currently known to exist on Earth.
The EBP is a massive undertaking that requires significant resources and expertise. The project relies on advances in DNA sequencing technology, bioinformatics, and data management to achieve its goals. The project is also focused on building partnerships with local communities and governments to ensure that the genetic resources of different regions are collected and utilized responsibly and sustainably.
Vision of EBP
The vision of the Earth Bio-Genome Project (EBP) is to advance scientific knowledge and understanding of biodiversity on Earth by sequencing the genomes of all known eukaryotic species. This ambitious goal can transform our understanding of evolution, ecology, and biotechnology.
The project aims to create a comprehensive reference database of genomic information for all eukaryotic species, including plants, animals, fungi, and protists. This database would provide a critical resource for scientists studying the origins and relationships between different species and conservationists and policymakers seeking to protect and manage biodiversity.
Also, read this article on the Convention on Biodiversity here.
Purpose of Earth Biogenome Project (EBP)
- To sequence, categorize, and create a database of all species on Earth.
- Create new perspectives to study biological processes.
- Easy, rapid, and equitable data sharing to enhance academic research on the impacts of climate change.
Members of the Earth Bio Genome Project
- Earth Biogenome Project (EBP) members include institutional members such as various universities, museums, research projects, and research centres.
- Besides this, EBP also includes representative members who form a consortium of scientists worldwide.
- Countries represented through institutional and representative members include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark, the United States of America, etc.
- The Global Genome Biodiversity Network, the Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance, the i5K Initiative to Sequence 5000 Arthropod Genomes, and the Genome 10K Project are additional partners of the EBP. They are also from countries like Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, and the United States.
Importance Of Earth Biogenome Project
- The project will result in a digital library of life on Earth that would help understand the Earth’s ecosystem in a new form.
- A database of DNA will serve as a useful resource for a wide range of scientific research that includes the development of anti-ageing drugs and treatments for various diseases and infections.
- It will also evolve a scientific approach to make food crops more climate resistant and hence would reduce malnutrition, hunger, and food shortage.
- Environment and biodiversity conservation projects will also be facilitated through this project.
Read in-depth about the Importance of Biodiversity here.
Challenges Towards EBP
Here are the challenges towards EBP:
- The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) is a massive undertaking. It is estimated to cost billions of dollars. This is a significant financial commitment, and it is not clear how the project will be funded.
- The EBP requires the development of new technologies, such as:
- new sequencing methods and
- new ways to store and analyze data.
These technologies are not yet fully developed, and it is not clear how long it will take to develop them.
- The EBP will generate a vast amount of data. It is important to ensure that this data is shared openly and equitably. This is a challenge. There are concerns about intellectual property rights and the potential for data misuse.
- The EBP raises many ethical concerns, such as:
- the potential for discrimination and
- the impact on indigenous peoples.
It is important to address these concerns before the project proceeds.
- The EBP is a complex and controversial project. It is important to ensure that it has public acceptance. This will need careful communication and outreach.
Read about Global Environment Outlook here!
Road Map: Earth Biogenome Project (EBP)
The Earth Biogenome Project (EBP), launched in 2018, is an ambitious project to create a database of all species on earth by the year 2030. Various phases of the project are as follows:
|
Phase |
Year |
Aim |
|
Pilot phase |
2018-2020 |
Developing standards and strategies. |
|
Phase 1 |
2021-2023 |
To sequence ~9000 species, one from each taxonomic family. |
|
Phase 2 |
2024- 2027 |
To sequence ~1.7 million species. |
|
Phase 3 |
2028-2030 |
The 2 year-long pilot phase and 3 years long phase 1 will map 9400 species. The remaining 1.7 million species will be sequenced in Phase 2 and Phase 3.
Read about Global Environment Facility here!
Indian Initiative On Earth Bio Genome Sequencing
- Indian initiative on Earth bio-genome sequencing (IIBS) is India’s bio-genome sequencing project. It is also a constituent of the Earth Biogenome Project (EBP).
- It aims to map and sequence genes of all known species of plants and animals in India.
- Twenty-four institutes around the country are carrying out the nationwide project.
- The coordination and monitoring are provided by the National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.
Check out this article on Environmental issues in India!
Way Forward
- Earth Biogenome Project can prove to be a new foundation of biology and may discover new realities of the biological ecosystem on Earth.
- Due to this project, environmental and biodiversity protection will also get more impactful interventions.
- Proper data sharing, data protection, and funding policies among the member countries are required to make this project successful and a game changer for life on Earth.
We hope all your doubts regarding the Earth biogenome project have been addressed after going through this article. Testbook offers a standard quality of study material for various competitive exams. Download the Testbook App now and be successful in your UPSC preparations.
Earth Biogenome Project FAQs
Who is funding the earth Biogenome project?
The Earth Biogenoe Project is being funded by various governments (USA, UK, EU, etc) and international funding bodies (WEF, Wellcome Trust, etc).
What are the 3 goals of the human genome project?
Three goals of the human genome project are : to sequence 3 billion nucleotide base pairs in the human genome, to map and identify all of the human genes and to publicly store all of this data.
What is genome mapping?
Genome mapping is the process of identifying the position and relative distance between the genes on a chromosome.
What is Genome India Project?
Genome India project is a collaborative research project which is aimed to build an Indian reference genome to study various diseases and infections among the Indian population.
Who launched Earth BioGenome Project?
Earth Biogenome Project is launched by a consortium of scientists from all around the globe. Its office is located at University of California in the United States of America.