Massive Animal Sequencing Effort Releases First Set of Genomes

The Vertebrate Genomes Project has released data on 14 vertebrate species, but the goal is to sequence all 66,000.

Written byJef Akst

| 2 min read

Listen with Speechify

0:00

2:00

The Vertebrate Genomes Project aims to sequence every extant vertebrate species—there are about 66,000—and to make them of the highest possible value. Today (September 13), the group published the culmination of three years of work to determine the best methodologies, along with 15 genomes representing 14 species.

The research effort is part of the Genome 10K (G10K) Project, launched in 2009 with the aim of sequencing 10,000 vertebrate genomes—from at least one individual of every genus.

The newly sequenced genomes, which are publicly available in the Genome Ark database, “is our introduction to the world,” VGP-G10K Program Director Sadye Paez tells Science. “We are hoping that the announcement will generate excitement.”

The genomes include four mammals (two bat species, the Canada lynx, and the duck-billed platypus, three birds (the kakapo, male and female zebra finches, and a hummingbird), a newly discovered turtle, a limbless amphibian, ...

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
View Full Profile