International DNA Day launch for Hong Kong’s Moonshot for Biology

A significant portion of modern knowledge in biology has emerged through sequencing the genetic code of the world’s biodiversity, which to date has been largely uncharacterized and increasingly threatened by climate change, habitat destruction, species exploitation, and other human-related activities. Hong Kong is a rich but threatened hotspot of biodiversity and home to over 3,000 species of plants, 570 species of birds, 25 species of amphibians, 90 species of reptiles, and 55 species of terrestrial mammals as well as more than 25% of the marine life recorded in China. A collective effort to sequence the genomes of these incredible natural resources of Hong Kong has just been launched, and the first five genomes are released today in GigaByte Journal to coincide with International DNA Day.

Assembling researchers from all eight University Grants Committee-funded universities in Hong Kong*, the Hong Kong Biodiversity Genomics Consortium formed to tackle this grand challenge. Also known as the Earth BioGenome Project Hong Kong, this effort aligns with and helps fill many of the geographic and species gaps in the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), a global “moonshot for biology” that aims to sequence, catalog, and characterize the genomes of all of Earth’s eukaryotic (non-microbial) biodiversity over a period of 10 years. Bringing together a group of academics with expertise in biodiversity and genomics from the eight public universities were funded by a Collaborative Research Grant in the Hong Kong Grant Council, which obtained a genome sequencer helping to kickstart a network for future biodiversity genomics research in this region.

Until now genomic data from Hong Kong’s species has been lacking, which has hindered the basic understanding of its rich biodiversity, as well as aid the utilization of these genomic resources for a variety of purposes ranging from basic to applied science. Such benefits range from increasing the understanding of how biodiversity is evolving under climate change, conservation of endangered species, provision of ecosystem services, to discovering hidden biological knowledge for new technological inventions and development, as well as a sustainable future.

The project has initially been focusing on the organisms that are of high concern and great interest to Hong Kong, the local public was asked to nominate what species of animal, plant, and fungi they were most interested. After engaging the community to gather these wider views, work is now underway sequencing the first-10 iconic and diverse species. Asking the consortium about this wider outreach they say:

“We have launched the species nomination call to the public. After obtaining the species list, we have discussed and narrowed down to start with those species with significant biological, ecological, cultural, and/or conservation values, and to obtain their genomes.” For the next steps the consortium says: “We have put in a new grant application aiming to sequence genomes of a group of animals together with secondary school students, NGOs, and postgraduate students.”

The Hong Kong based journal GigaByte are publishing these first five of these genomes that have different scientific and conservation values in the Asia-Pacific region. These first papers include the beautiful golden birdwing butterfly (Troides aeacus), important marine species including the common chiton (Liolophura japonic) and long-spined sea urchin (Diadema setosum), the edible jelly fungus Dacryopinax spathularia, and the milky mangrove (Excoecaria agallocha). Genomes of other emblematic and much-loved local species such as the black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor) are also underway. These genomes are the cornerstone of the roadmap for Hong Kong’s eukaryotic genome resources and sequencing initiatives, and help it join countries and regions such as the British Isles, California, and Chile in systematically sequencing local species to help understand, manage and protect regional biodiversity. This new series of papers being launched in GigaByte helps provide a home for the ongoing project and papers providing resources to assist the aims of promoting these efforts in Hong Kong.

*The eight UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong include University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Lingnan University, and the Education University of Hong Kong.

 

Additional material:

References
 Hong Kong Biodiversity Genomics Consortium. Chromosome-level genome assembly of the common chiton, Liolophura japonica (Lischke, 1873). GigaByte. 2024. https://doi.org/10.46471/gigabyte.123 Early preprint version https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.15.575488 Hong Kong Biodiversity Genomics Consortium. Genome assembly of the edible jelly fungus Dacryopinax spathularia (Dacrymycetaceae). GigaByte. 2024. https://doi.org/10.46471/gigabyte.120 Early preprint version https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.16.575489 Hong Kong Biodiversity Genomics Consortium. Chromosomal-level genome assembly of the long-spined sea urchin Diadema setosum (Leske, 1778). GigaByte. 2024. https://doi.org/10.46471/gigabyte.121 Early preprint version https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.16.575490 Hong Kong Biodiversity Genomics Consortium. Genome assembly of the milky mangrove Excoecaria agallocha. GigaByte. 2024. https://doi.org/10.46471/gigabyte.119 Early preprint version https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.13.575302   Hong Kong Biodiversity Genomics Consortium. Chromosomal-level genome assembly of golden birdwing Troides aeacus (Felder & Felder, 1860). GigaByte. 2024. https://doi.org/10.46471/gigabyte.122 Early preprint version https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.13.575334   Earth Biogenome Project: Hong Kong http://biodiversity.sls.cuhk.edu.hk/ebphk

Copyright free images available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yBN9J6Phl0lsotncpL5SGIET3AWUgJgQ?usp=sharing

 

Media contacts:

GigaScience Press Editor-in-Chief:

Scott Edmunds, Scott@gigasciencejournal.com, Office: +852 3610 3531 Cell: +852 92490853

Correspondence on behalf of the consortium:

Jerome Hui, jeromehui@cuhk.edu.hk

 

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