Genome 10 K : A Proposal to Obtain Whole - Genome Sequence for 10 000 Vertebrate Species

The human genome project has been recently complemented by whole-genome assessment sequence of 32 mammals and 24 nonmammalian vertebrate species suitable for comparative genomic analyses. Here we anticipate a precipitous drop in costs and increase in sequencing efficiency, with concomitant development of improved annotation technology and, therefore, propose to create a collection of tissue and DNA specimens for 10 000 vertebrate species specifically designated for whole-genome sequencing in the very near future. For this purpose, we, the Genome 10K Community of Scientists (G10KCOS), will assemble and allocate a biospecimen collection of some 16 203 representative vertebrate species spanning evolutionary diversity across living mammals, birds, nonavian reptiles, amphibians, and fishes (ca. 60 000 living species). In this proposal, we present precise counts for these 16 203 individual species with specimens presently tagged and stipulated for DNA sequencing by the G10KCOS. DNA sequencing has ushered in a new era of investigation in the biological sciences, allowing us to embark for the first time on a truly comprehensive study of vertebrate evolution, the results of which will touch nearly every aspect of vertebrate biological enquiry. The bold insight behind the success of the human genome project was that, although vast, the roughly 3 billion letters of digital information specifying the total genetic heritage of an individual is finite and might, with dedicated resolve, be brought within the reach of our technology (Lander et al. 2001; Venter et al. 2001; Collins et al. 2003). The number of living species is similarly vast, estimated to be between 10 6 and 10 8 for all metazoans and approximately 6 Â 10 4 for Vertebrata, which includes our closest relatives (May 1988; Erwin 1991; Gaston 1991). With the same unity of purpose shown for the Human Genome Project, we can now contemplate reading the genetic heritage of all species, beginning today with the vertebrates. The feasibility of a ''Genome 10K'' (G10K) project to catalog the genomic diversity of 10 000 vertebrate genomes, approximately one for each vertebrate genus, requires only one more order of magnitude reduction in the cost of DNA sequencing, after the 4 orders of magnitude reduction we have seen in the last The approximate number of 10 000 is a compromise between reasonable expectations for the reach of new sequencing technology over the next few years and adequate coverage of vertebrate species diversity. It is time to prepare for this undertaking. Living vertebrate species …