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A world-first tool is tracking Australia\u2019s progress in sequencing the full genomes \u2013 or genetic blueprints \u2013 of the country\u2019s 250,000-plus known and catalogued species.<\/p>\n
Launched today, Genome Tracker<\/a> reveals that only two per cent of Australia\u2019s known and catalogued species have had their genome sequenced at least once.<\/p>\n The online dashboard is part of the Australian Reference Genome Atlas (ARGA), a platform delivered through the Atlas of Living Australia, Bioplatforms Australia, Australian BioCommons and the Australian Research Data Commons.<\/p>\n CSIRO\u2019s Dr Kathryn Hall, ARGA project lead, said Genome Tracker is a step change in how genomic data coverage can be tracked, assessed and prioritised.<\/p>\n \u201cWhole genome sequencing for plants and animals provides insights for ecology, conservation biology, agriculture and biosecurity,\u201d Dr Hall said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt lets us peer back through evolutionary time to understand how species have adapted to the unique landscapes of Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cGenome Tracker clearly shows which parts of the family tree of life have strong representation and which are under-sequenced or entirely missing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt helps researchers map existing genomic coverage and highlights under-represented areas for research.”<\/p>\n The ultimate goal is to have genomes published for a wide cross-section of Australian biodiversity.<\/p>\n \u201cGenomes help us understand the adaptive traits of species \u2013 how they\u2019ve uniquely adapted to their environment and how they\u2019re evolving,\u201d Dr Hall said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe higher branches in the taxonomic tree of life represent older genomic divergence.\u201d<\/p>\n Genome Tracker tells us that these ancient branches currently have just 32 per cent genomic coverage. Improving their representation will deepen our understanding of how species have diversified and evolved over time.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are exciting times for biology. Genomes give us roadmaps to trace how life came to be as it is today \u2013 and how we can work with that knowledge to protect it for generations to come,\u201d Dr Hall said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can look at what drove changes in organisms, and this could help predict how species might adapt in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cAs ecosystems change, this data spotlights populations for monitoring, conservation and protection.\u201d<\/p>\n Taxonomic descriptors, species occurrence records, and ecotype layering allow researchers to use ARGA to filter and search the indexed genomics data, and to track every species in Australia.<\/p>\n Genome Tracker and ARGA use existing research infrastructure capabilities of the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA), Australia\u2019s national biodiversity data infrastructure which is hosted by CSIRO, the national science agency.<\/p>\n Fast facts:<\/p>\n Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii): Australia\u2019s first published genome. Released in 2011<\/a>, it was critical for research into Devil Facial Tumour Disease, conservation, and as a model for cancer resistance studies. \u00a0<\/p>\n Explore Genome Tracker<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0 The Australian Reference Genome Atlas (ARGA) is enabled by funding from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy<\/a> and delivered by the Atlas of Living Australia<\/a> (ALA), Bioplatforms Australia<\/a>, Australian BioCommons<\/a>\u00a0and Australian Research Data Commons<\/a> (ARDC) (https:\/\/doi.org\/10.47486\/DC011<\/a>). <\/p>\n ARGA and ALA are hosted by CSIRO, Australia\u2019s national science agency, as key Australian biodiversity data infrastructure.\u00a0ARGA integrates data sourced from a number of international repositories, including NCBI GenBank<\/a>, EMBL-ENA<\/a> and Bioplatforms Australia<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n Tammar Wallaby (Notamacropus eugenii): The first kangaroo genome, fully published in 2012<\/a> after three years of work. It revealed the genes for encoding special antimicrobial proteins in its milk and around 1,500 smell-related genes.
\n Regent Honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia): The first honeyeater genome was published in 2019<\/a>. It showed only a 9 per cent loss of genetic diversity<\/a> despite low population numbers, highlighting the need to preserve remaining genetic diversity and prevent inbreeding.
\n Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus): Published in 2022<\/a>, the genome showed they have reduced bitter and sweet taste receptors, but enhanced umami receptors, as an adaptation to their specialised termite diet.
\n Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster): Genome published in 2025<\/a>, the first for a critically endangered parrot. It will help strengthen captive breeding programs. The first parrot genome was only published in 2024.
\n Southern Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne corroboree): Published in 2025<\/a>, this genome is three times the size of the human genome. The genome will help researchers understand which genes affect resistance or susceptibility to the chytrid disease. Ultimately, the conservation goal is to breed frogs\u2019 resistance to the chytrid fungus for release back into the wild.<\/p>\n
\nBackground<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
23 July 2025
News Release
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