Once thought a fantasy, effort to sequence DNA of millions of species gains momentum
The Earth BioGenome Project, which started six years ago, aims to sequence the genomes of essentially all known eukaryotes. While the project is still short on funds and years behind schedule, it is no longer pure aspiration. The project has now sequenced 3,000 genomes and is on track to reach 10,000 species by 2026. Project leaders now hope to meet the 1.67 million species goal by 2032. Advances in DNA sequencing technology will help lower the costs of the project.