Marques João P, Alves Paulo C, Amorim Isabel R, Lopes Ricardo J, Moura Monica, Myers Eugene, Sim-Sim Manuela, Sousa-Santos Carla, Alves M Judite, Borges Paulo A V, Brown Thomas, Carneiro Miguel, Carrapato Carlos, Ceríaco Luís M P, Ciofi Claúdio, da Silva Luís P, Diedericks Genevieve, Diroma Maria Angela, Farelo Liliana, Formenti Giulio, Gil Fátima, Grilo Miguel, Iannucci Alessio, Leitão Henrique G, Máguas Cristina, Mc Cartney Ann M, Mendes Sofia L, Moreno João M, Morselli Marco, Mouton Alice, Natali Chiara, Pereira Fernando, Rego Rúben M C, Resendes Roberto, Roxo Guilherme, Svardal Hannes, Trindade Helena, Vicente Sara, Winkler Sylke, Alvarenga Marcela, Amaral Andreia J, Antunes Agostinho, Campos Paula F, Canário Adelino V M, Castilho Rita, Castro L Filipe C, Crottini Angelica, Cunha Mónica V, Espregueira Themudo Gonçalo, Esteves Pedro J, Faria Rui, Rodríguez Fernandes Carlos, Ledoux Jean-Baptiste, Louro Bruno, Magalhaes Sara, Paulo Octávio S, Pearson Gareth, Pimenta João, Pina-Martins Francisco, Santos Teresa L, Serrão Ester, Melo-Ferreira José, Sousa Vítor C
CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
NPJ Biodivers. 2024 Sep 17;3(1):27. doi: 10.1038/s44185-024-00061-7.
The diverse physiography of the Portuguese land and marine territory, spanning from continental Europe to the Atlantic archipelagos, has made it an important repository of biodiversity throughout the Pleistocene glacial cycles, leading to a remarkable diversity of species and ecosystems. This rich biodiversity is under threat from anthropogenic drivers, such as climate change, invasive species, land use changes, overexploitation, or pathogen (re)emergence. The inventory, characterisation, and study of biodiversity at inter- and intra-specific levels using genomics is crucial to promote its preservation and recovery by informing biodiversity conservation policies, management measures, and research. The participation of researchers from Portuguese institutions in the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) initiative and its pilot effort to generate reference genomes for European biodiversity has reinforced the establishment of Biogenome Portugal. This nascent institutional network will connect the national community of researchers in genomics. Here, we describe the Portuguese contribution to ERGA’s pilot effort, which will generate high-quality reference genomes of six species from Portugal that are endemic, iconic, and/or endangered and include plants, insects, and vertebrates (fish, birds, and mammals) from mainland Portugal or the Azores islands. In addition, we outline the objectives of Biogenome Portugal, which aims to (i) promote scientific collaboration, (ii) contribute to advanced training, (iii) stimulate the participation of institutions and researchers based in Portugal in international biodiversity genomics initiatives, and (iv) contribute to the transfer of knowledge to stakeholders and engaging the public to preserve biodiversity. This initiative will strengthen biodiversity genomics research in Portugal and fuel the genomic inventory of Portuguese eukaryotic species. Such efforts will be critical to the conservation of the country’s rich biodiversity and will contribute to ERGA’s goal of generating reference genomes for European species.
葡萄牙的陆地和海洋领土地貌多样，从欧洲大陆延伸至大西洋诸群岛，使其在整个更新世冰川周期中成为生物多样性的重要储存库，进而形成了物种和生态系统的显著多样性。这种丰富的生物多样性正受到气候变化、入侵物种、土地利用变化、过度开发或病原体（再）出现等人为因素的威胁。利用基因组学在种间和种内水平上对生物多样性进行清查、特征描述和研究，对于通过为生物多样性保护政策、管理措施和研究提供信息来促进其保护和恢复至关重要。葡萄牙机构的研究人员参与欧洲参考基因组图谱（ERGA）倡议及其为欧洲生物多样性生成参考基因组的试点工作，加强了葡萄牙生物基因组计划的建立。这个新成立的机构网络将连接国内基因组学研究人员群体。在此，我们描述了葡萄牙对ERGA试点工作的贡献，该工作将生成来自葡萄牙的六个物种的高质量参考基因组，这些物种是特有、标志性和/或濒危物种，包括来自葡萄牙大陆或亚速尔群岛的植物、昆虫和脊椎动物（鱼类、鸟类和哺乳动物）。此外，我们概述了葡萄牙生物基因组计划的目标，其旨在（i）促进科学合作，（ii）为高级培训做出贡献，（iii）激励葡萄牙的机构和研究人员参与国际生物多样性基因组学倡议，以及（iv）为向利益相关者传播知识和促使公众参与生物多样性保护做出贡献。该倡议将加强葡萄牙的生物多样性基因组学研究，并推动葡萄牙真核生物物种的基因组清查。这些努力对于保护该国丰富的生物多样性至关重要，并将有助于实现ERGA为欧洲物种生成参考基因组的目标。
