Peer Review Report For: Recommendations for connecting molecular sequence and biodiversity research infrastructures through ELIXIR [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with reservations]
Year: 2022
Type: peer-review
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.
Authors: Robert M. Waterhouse, Anne-Françoise Adam-Blondon, Donat Agosti, Petr Baldrian, Bachir Balech, Erwan Corre, Robert P. Davey, Henrik Lantz, Graziano Pesole, Christian Quast, Frank Oliver Glöckner, Niels Raes, Anna Sandionigi, Monica Santamaria, Wouter Addink, Jiri Vohradsky, Amandine Nunes-Jorge, Nils Peder Willassen, Jerry Lanfear
Institutions: SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne, Université Paris-Saclay, Plazi Verein, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Microbiology, Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, Earlham Institute, Uppsala University, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Constructor University, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, University of Bremen, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, University of Milano-Bicocca, Distributed System of Scientific Collections, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, ELIXIR
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Funders: National Science Foundation, Arcadia Fund, UK Research and Innovation, European Commission, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Grantová Agentura České Republiky, Norges Forskningsråd, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Awards: Exploiting evolutionary signatures to build an enhanced understanding of gene function, G1654588718, G2061811189, Data access and analysis, G2621271539, G2640177428, G2641991998, Computational Developments, G420689325, G434337789, Economically important fungi and related organisms: distribution, diversity and human effects, Joining forces for genetic resources and biodiversity management, G5363844604, Development and deployment of versatile digital platforms for 'omics-based data sharing and analysis, G5926167740, G6735483382, G67774703, G7486025259, G7514515371
OpenAlex ID: W4416610904
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