Sequencing the DNA of all species of UK wildlife could generate up to £3 billion

It is estimated that there are as many as 70,000 species of animals, fungi and plants in the UK. These range from the red squirrel and oak tree to the haircap moss and orange-clubbed sea slug.

The Darwin Tree of Life is an ambitious project to sequence the genomes of all these species. Over the last decade scientists have been going out into the field to collect new, high-quality samples of these animals and plants so that their DNA can be extracted and sequenced using modern techniques.

It is hoped that the information gleaned from these genomes could help boost the economy, in a similar way to what occurred in the wake of the Human Genome Project. Now a new report has estimated exactly how much the Darwin Tree of Life project might benefit the UK over the next three decades.

Compiled by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and published in Frontier Economics, it is thought that sequencing all species from the UK and Ireland could generate up to £3 billion. This would be in the form of, for example, reducing the impact of pest insects, improving conservation outcomes or the development of novel medicines.

Professor Ian Barnes is the Research Leader at the Natural History Museum, which has provided a wealth of expertise and research towards the project.

“Capturing the genetic secrets of complex organisms in the UK and Ireland can help us understand how life has evolved and will adapt in the future,” explains Ian. “Climate change threatens our food security, biodiversity, and ecosystems, causing environmental and economic impact.”

“Our report shows that the Darwin Tree of Life reference genomes can help to offset this. The keys to some of our biggest challenges could be found in the DNA of the species we are studying. We need to invest in unlocking it to create a future where both people and planet thrive.”

The value of genomes

On the surface the idea of sequencing the genome of every plant and animal species might seem fairly esoteric. But the results have real-world outcomes. In fact, the work coming out of the Darwin Tree of Life project has already led to conservation successes.

The introduction of the ash dieback fungus into Europe around 30 years ago is causing devastation across the continent as it has been killing off vast numbers of European ash trees. The fungus is native to east Asia, meaning that the majority of European trees have no immunity. Crucially, however, some do.

By sequencing the genomes of those trees that can resist the fungus and pinpointing the underlying genes, researchers have been able breed from them to create more resistant varieties of ash tree. It is estimated that this will save the UK up to £7.9 million by preventing the devastation of woodlands.

Over the next three decades, it is thought that in total the sequencing of all the UK’s plants and animal’s DNA could benefit UK biodiversity conservation to the amount of an incredible £1.3 billion.

The gains that could be made when it comes to agriculture and fishing are equally massive. High-quality genomes of plants could be used to increase the resilience of crops, for example, in a similar way to how they have been used to protect the ash trees. But they can also be used to tackle pests and potential diseases.

The DNA data can even improve the sustainability of fish stocks. By having reference genomes for different fish around the UK, scientists can rapidly assess if any one population is being over harvested, how these populations might be interacting and interbreeding, and trace specific fish back to where they were caught. This is already being achieved to actively manage the quota of sole and plaice.

It’s estimates that up to £1.4 billion could be gained in UK agriculture over the next 30 years as a result of this project.

Global genomes

The Darwin Tree of Life project is not acting in isolation. It is feeding into a much wider ambition to sequence the genomes of every single species of animals and plants in the world.

Known as the Earth Biogenome Project, the global network of scientists are all feeding into this bigger aim, with the UK leading the pack. So far, an impressive 30% of all genomes submitted to this project have come from the Darwin Tree of Life, helping to refine and streamline the techniques involved.

Christiane Hertz-Fowler is the Head of Directed Activity at the Wellcome Institute.

"The significance of the Darwin Tree of Life project cannot be underestimated, as demonstrated by the huge number and diversity of genomes already sequenced and by the scale of its potential economic impact in the upcoming decades,” says Christiane.

“Now, this report underscores the importance of investing in ambitious, transformative discovery research to help us better understand life around us, in turn helping us solve health challenges around the world."