There are 70,000 species.
This is the best estimate for the number of plants, animals, and fungi found in Britain and Ireland.
And it’s the goal of one of biology’s most ambitious projects: mapping the DNA of every one of these organisms.
Possessing these genomes – each containing the whole set of genetic information for a species – could revolutionize our understanding of the natural world. In our search for nature-inspired medicines and materials, there may also be advantages for humans.
This enormous undertaking begins in Plymouth with some thick, sticky muck.
The Marine Biological Association’s research vessel has scooped sediment from the bottom of Plymouth Sound and transferred it to its deck.
“As you can see, we have bivalves, which are connected to mussels and clams. We also have a gastropod shell, which is quite similar to the shells of terrestrial garden snails. And we’ve got some brittle stars. Thus, there are many diverse taxa (groups of creatures) and species of animals, which is fantastic,” adds marine biologist Patrick Adkins.
Today, he is concentrating on polychaetes, which are marine worms abundant in the sediment.
Some resemble earthworms, while others are covered with minute bristles and wiggle about. But the mud owl is the most peculiar. If you squint, its markings resemble the face of an owl, but as it extends its tubular proboscis, the illusion is shattered.
All of them will have their genomes sequenced as part of the Darwin Tree of Life project, in which the Natural History Museum is also involved.
“Even if you examine polychaetes, which is just one category of worms, it’s a massive undertaking because there are hundreds and hundreds of species,” explains Patrick.
We have now gathered over 100 species of polychaetes, which may seem like a lot, but it’s only the beginning.
The research encompasses all habitat types.
Oxfordshire is dominated by forests.
As dusk approaches, a badger family emerges from its burrow. Following a night’s rest, they rummage around in the darkness in search of food.
The creatures in Wytham Woods have been extensively researched for more than three decades, but their DNA has only recently been sequenced.
According to Ming-Shan Tsai of the University of Oxford, the genome can provide answers to numerous hitherto unanswered issues.
“We can investigate why the badger is so dissimilar to other species, as well as its peculiar behavior.”
This involves the mystery of delayed implantation, in which badgers mate and an egg is fertilized, but pregnancy is postponed until the optimal time of year to bear a cub.
“Obtaining a genome will also allow us to comprehend why, for instance, badgers are more susceptible to disease than other species,” she added.
Cambridge’s Wellcome Sanger Institute is at the heart of this undertaking.
Samples from throughout the British Isles arrive daily.
Whether it is a leaf from a tree or animal blood, the substance is weighed, then frozen with liquid nitrogen, and then ground into a fine powder. This can be used to extract DNA and sequence the genome.
The human genome project, which took years to complete, was led by Sanger. Now, species sequencing takes a few days.
The leader of the Tree of Life project, Mark Blaxter, states, “When the human genome was sequenced, human biology was irrevocably altered. And it has significantly altered how we view ourselves and how we manage our health and illness.
“And we wish to make this possible for the entirety of biology.” We want everyone working on any species or group of species, anywhere in the globe, to have access to this definitive foundation.”
The genomic work should disclose the relationships between species, as well as their similarities and differences.
Mark explains, “It’s like filling up the life library.”
However, the smallest life forms pose the greatest problems.
Jamie McGowan of the Earlham Institute in Norwich is observing a single drop of pond water via a microscope. It is rich in protists, which are unicellular creatures.
“There are two little green cells here; both are microalgae. “They are photosynthetic like plants,” he states.
They are the tiniest organisms being sequenced for the project, but the sequencing process is not simple.
“It is extremely difficult to recognize them, as many of them resemble one another. In addition, they are difficult to sequence since they begin with minuscule quantities of DNA.”
Single-celled organisms were the origin of life on Earth, and we could not survive without them.
Jamie continues, “We are dependent on them to thrive.”
Protists occupy a crucial position in the food chain because they consume species smaller than themselves, such as bacteria and viruses. They are then consumed by larger organisms.
“And quite a few protists can make oxygen; in fact, they produce roughly half of the oxygen on the earth.
Therefore, it is crucial to sequence their DNA to identify them. Their biodiversity is poorly comprehended. And we must safeguard them since they are so essential to the rest of existence.”
Back in Plymouth, the marine researchers have moved onto the shore to examine the rock pools.
Each is a multicolored microcosmos with numerous species.
Something passes by the seaweed in a flash.
Kes Scott-Somme, a research assistant with the Darwin Tree of Life project, identifies the creature as a pipefish. “It is essentially an elongated seahorse. They are gorgeous and well acclimated to their environment. This allows them to reside pretty high on the shore.”
But learning about the DNA of such creatures would not only help us understand the species better; it may also benefit us.
“Marine ecosystems are extremely unstable, hence marine species must be even better suited to their environment than humans. And this implies that they have very specialized coping mechanisms,” explains Kes.
“This could assist us in locating antibiotics, medications, and materials. The aquatic ecosystem is an excellent area to find this knowledge.”
The Darwin Tree of Life project has a strict deadline of 2030 to sequence all 70,000 species.
There is a great deal of work to be done, but this research could result in our most comprehensive understanding of the diversity of life to date.
