A project by the UAB Department of Genetics and Microbiology will contribute to the study of the complete genetic information of one of the 58 new species, of high biotechnological, agricultural, or ecological value to the Catalan-speaking territories. The study is one of the ten new projects funded by the fifth call of the Institute for Catalan Studies' Biogenoma-IEC programme.
The 10 new projects awarded under the fifth call of the Biogenoma-IEC programme were announced on 26 June. Thanks to support from the Directorate General for Research of the Government of Catalonia, the complete genetic information of 58 new species—chosen for their high biotechnological, agricultural, or ecological value within Catalan-speaking territories—will be studied, and the resulting data will be integrated into the Catalan Initiative for the Earth Biogenome Project (CBP). These new species join the nearly 200 that have been undergoing analysis since 2019. For the first time, the list includes fungal species, alongside new marine and terrestrial invertebrates, as well as reptiles and amphibians.
Two of these ten projects focus on exploiting data already present in the CBP, demonstrating the scientific value of having high-quality reference genomes for conducting high-level research.
Thus, the project coordinated by Cinta Pegueroles—lecturer in the UAB Department of Genetics and Microbiology—will focus on Xerocrassa montserratensis, an endemic snail with a vulnerable conservation status found in the Sant Llorenç Natural Park. Gaining a better understanding of the connections between the various populations of this species will be crucial for designing strategies aimed at its conservation and recovery.
This and other projects funded by the Biogeoma-IEC programme demonstrate that having high-quality reference genomes is essential for devising research projects that allow for a deeper understanding of the relationships established between species within the ecosystems of this European region.
Genetic research to preserve biodiversity
With the aim of preserving biodiversity, protecting it from the effects of climate change, and making it compatible with the exploitation of natural resources, the Institute of Catalan Studies has been coordinating the Biogenoma-IEC programme since 2023; this programme is structured around a series of calls for research project grants within the framework of the Catalan Initiative for the Earth Biogenome Project (CBP).
Born within the Catalan Society of Biology and the Catalan Institution of Natural History—both affiliate societies of the IEC—the CBP aims to obtain the complete genetic information (the genome sequence) of all eukaryotic species in Catalan-speaking regions, placing special emphasis on those that are threatened or of biotechnological and/or commercial interest.
Currently, the CBP holds a collection of 199 species across 12 different phyla, all at various stages of processing. Thanks to the new call for projects under the Biogenoma-IEC programme, this catalogue will add 58 new species that are key to better understanding our ecosystems and how they evolve.
In this fifth call for projects, Biogenoma-IEC received 20 proposals, 10 of which were awarded funding. The new projects will entail a total investment of over half a million euros over two years and will involve research personnel from 14 different institutions. Among the new species to be studied from genetic, functional, and evolutionary perspectives—in addition to Xerocrassa montserratensis, which is being studied by the UAB—are vertebrates such as lizards and tortoises, invertebrates such as squid, earthworms, and ticks, and the first endophytic fungi, which live in symbiosis with certain types of plants and play a key role in their adaptation to environmental stress.
The Biogenoma-IEC programme, within the framework of the CBP, is already laying the groundwork for developing more efficient conservation strategies for endemic species. The goal is to eventually enable the exploitation of opportunities in the biotechnology, agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture industries—opportunities that not only avoid harming the country's biodiversity but actively foster it.
