Recommendations for connecting molecular sequence and biodiversity research infrastructures through ELIXIR - INRAE - Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement
Journal Articles F1000Research Year : 2022

Recommendations for connecting molecular sequence and biodiversity research infrastructures through ELIXIR

Donat Agosti
  • Function : Author
Bachir Balech
Robert Davey
Henrik Lantz
Graziano Pesole
Frank Oliver Glöckner
Niels Raes
Anna Sandionigi
Monica Santamaria
  • Function : Author
Jiri Vohradsky
  • Function : Author
Amandine Nunes-Jorge
Jerry Lanfear

Abstract

Threats to global biodiversity are increasingly recognised by scientists and the public as a critical challenge. Molecular sequencing technologies offer means to catalogue, explore, and monitor the richness and biogeography of life on Earth. However, exploiting their full potential requires tools that connect biodiversity infrastructures and resources. As a research infrastructure developing services and technical solutions that help integrate and coordinate life science resources across Europe, ELIXIR is a key player. To identify opportunities, highlight priorities, and aid strategic thinking, here we survey approaches by which molecular technologies help inform understanding of biodiversity. We detail example use cases to highlight how DNA sequencing is: resolving taxonomic issues; Increasing knowledge of marine biodiversity; helping understand how agriculture and biodiversity are critically linked; and playing an essential role in ecological studies. Together with examples of national biodiversity programmes, the use cases show where progress is being made but also highlight common challenges and opportunities for future enhancement of underlying technologies and services that connect molecular and wider biodiversity domains. Based on emerging themes, we propose key recommendations to guide future funding for biodiversity research: biodiversity and bioinformatic infrastructures need to collaborate closely and strategically; taxonomic efforts need to be aligned and harmonised across domains; metadata needs to be standardised and common data management approaches widely adopted; current approaches need to be scaled up dramatically to address the anticipated explosion of molecular data; bioinformatics support for biodiversity research needs to be enabled and sustained; training for end users of biodiversity research infrastructures needs to be prioritised; and community initiatives need to be proactive and focused on enabling solutions. For sequencing data to deliver their full potential they must be connected to knowledge: together, molecular sequence data collection initiatives and biodiversity research infrastructures can advance global efforts to prevent further decline of Earth’s biodiversity.

Dates and versions

hal-04506390 , version 1 (15-03-2024)

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Robert Waterhouse, Anne-Françoise Adam-Blondon, Donat Agosti, Petr Baldrian, Bachir Balech, et al.. Recommendations for connecting molecular sequence and biodiversity research infrastructures through ELIXIR. F1000Research, 2022, 10, pp.1238. ⟨10.12688/f1000research.73825.2⟩. ⟨hal-04506390⟩
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