The era of reference genomes in conservation genomics

Abstract

Progress in genome sequencing now enables the large-scale generation of reference genomes. Various international initiatives aim to generate reference genomes representing global biodiversity. These genomes provide unique insights into genomic diversity and architecture, thereby enabling comprehensive analyses of population and functional genomics, and are expected to revolutionize conservation genomics.

Keywords: ERGA; European Reference Genome Atlas; biodiversity conservation; conservation genetics.