The Tree of Life programme launches open access publishing hub to rapidly publish genome sequences of thousands of species on Wellcome Open Research
| 21 May, 2021 | Alanna Orpen |
Today, the Tree of Life programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute has launched its own open access publishing hub to home the genome sequences of the thousands of animals, plants, fungi and micro-organisms, such as algae, that live on and around Britain and Ireland.
The Tree of Life Gateway, is hosted on the Wellcome Open Research platform, supporting the programme’s aim to decipher the genome sequences of approximately 70,000 species, via the Darwin Tree of Life Project. A Genome Note, which is a new brief non-traditional article type, will be published once each genome has been completed. These will help to examine the diversity of complex organisms, improving our understanding of evolution and to aid the conservation of biodiversity.
This work is part of the Earth BioGenome Project, which is attempting to catalogue and sequence all complex life on earth. Using Wellcome Open Research’s publishing model ensures that the data are available for reuse by all immediately, without restriction, to maximise their impact.
Professor Mark Blaxter, Tree of Life Programme Lead, Wellcome Sanger Institute, said:
“Our Tree of Life gateway demonstrates that immediate and open data sharing is not only possible but essential if projects of this scale are to have the greatest possible impact. The species we are sequencing in the Darwin Tree of Life and other projects are not “ours” to own, but part of a global patrimony.”
“The sheer number of genomes that are being generated by Tree of Life means that writing a traditional research paper for each species is implausible and would only serve to delay the dissemination of these data. At Tree of Life, we want to make these sequences public immediately, so that they can be used by researchers at once, rather than embargoing them, restricting their utility for months or even years, while we complete analyses and then wait for the editorial boards of traditional journals to decide whether (and then when) they want to publish our work.”
The Genome Notes summarise the origin of the specimen that was used for sequencing, the methods used to extract and sequence the genetic material, and the bioinformatic processes that were used to assemble and fine-tune the genome sequence to high quality. Descriptive statistics and figures demonstrate the quality and accuracy of the sequences.
Another benefit of these Genome Notes is that they provide citable credit for all involved in the generation of these sequences, from field collectors to infrastructure coordinators, ensuring that the vital contributions of everyone involved in the projects are recognised. With sequences of more complex species usually published as a traditional research article, the Genome Note is an innovative article type to ensure rapid publication, high quality and recognition to all involved in the generation and output of sequencing research.
Michael Markie, Publishing Director, F1000 Research said:
“Wellcome Open Research’s Open Data policies and adherence to the FAIR Data Principles are a natural fit for the Tree of Life programme, where they seek to publish all data, underlying and incidental, immediately and entirely openly. The rapid publication model of Wellcome Open Research allows the genome sequences to be formally published and shared as quickly as possible, ensuring that researchers are aware they can make use of these data and replicate the methods used in their generation almost instantly.”
To increase the efficiency in which these Genome Notes can be prepared and published, F1000, who powers the Wellcome Open Research publishing platform, are developing a new technology to provide a quicker automated route to publication. This means that Genome Notes will ultimately be formulated ‘straight from the sequencer’ and be supported with a combination of machine and community review.
The gateway launches with the following published Genome Notes:
The genome sequence of the European golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos chrysaetos Linnaeus 1758
About Wellcome Open Research
Wellcome Open Research is an Open Research platform: all articles are published open access; the publishing and peer-review processes are fully transparent; and authors are asked to include detailed descriptions of methods and to provide full and easy access to the source data underlying the results in order to improve reproducibility.
Media contact
Alanna Orpen, Senior Communications Officer, F1000
alanna.orpen@f1000.com