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An ambitious and revolutionary initiative aims to map every cell of all eukaryotic life on Earth. The result will be a Biodiversity Cell Atlas, which will reveal nature's secrets and help inform conservation efforts at a level that is not currently possible.

This plan, crafted by leading experts from around the world, is detailed in a published in Nature. This global, collaborative effort is spearheaded by scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, and further supported by experts worldwide.

The ambitious atlas will enable experts to understand life at single-cell resolution, with potential implications for many different areas beyond basic research, including conservation, industrial applications, and drug discovery. By being able to compare cell types and gene expression across species and life stages, this work aims to create a map of life that uncovers more about the biology of every cell and how they interact with the cells around them.

Genome sequencing has transformed biology over the past 25 years since the first draft of the human genome. This has led to initiatives such as the Darwin Tree of Life Project, which aims to genetically sequence all known species of animals, plants, fungi and protists in Britain and Ireland. Despite our growing knowledge of the genome sequences of different species, it is not clear how these genomes encode the range of cells and functions that we see, and how evolution has shaped the sheer amount of cellular diversity we have on Earth.

The Biodiversity Cell Atlas plans to bridge this gap by understanding how every cell decodes and interprets the genetic information stored in DNA, building on the sequencing efforts of projects such as the Darwin Tree of Life.

The new Perspective sets out the first stage of the Biodiversity Cell Atlas, which will test and compare protocols for analyzing single-cell gene expression in various species. This allows the team to create a universal process for collecting, sequencing, and processing data in a standardized way to ensure that the atlas can be built, used, and applied worldwide.

This project requires expertise across a range of disciplines, including biodiversity and genomic experts, and local communities, to ensure that the benefit of such research is collectively and equitably shared.

"Understanding the diversity of life demands strong interdisciplinary collaboration. By bringing together experts from across the world and creating a framework to coordinate and standardize our efforts, everyone can benefit.

"With this initiative, we are undertaking scientific exploration at scale, enhancing our understanding of life's evolution and opening the door to completely unexpected discoveries," said Dr. Arnau Seb茅 Pedr贸s, initiator of the Biodiversity Cell Atlas at the Center for Genomic Regulation and Associate Faculty at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

Dr. Mara Lawniczak, co-leader of the Biodiversity Cell Atlas efforts at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said, "The first multicellular species with their whole genomes sequenced more than 20 years ago鈥攈umans, flies, worms鈥攚ere incredibly ambitious projects for their time. They changed the course of science in the years to come.

"We hope this new initiative will have a similar impact. This level of biological understanding of eukaryotic life could have wide-ranging implications, including in medicine and conservation.

"While we still have a lot to figure out when it comes to processes and techniques, it is incredibly exciting to be involved in such a transformative project."