In a new publication, the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) announces the success of its pilot project. This initiative assembled a large collaborative network of scientists and institutions across 33 countries to produce high-quality reference genomes of 98 European species—so far. The pilot project has provided valuable lessons and highlighted key challenges, positioning ERGA as a model for decentralized, inclusive and equitable biodiversity genomics initiatives around the world. In a new publication, the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) announces the success of its pilot project. This initiative assembled a large collaborative network of scientists and institutions across 33 countries to produce high-quality reference genomes of 98 European species—so far. The pilot project has provided valuable lessons and highlighted key challenges, positioning ERGA as a model for decentralized, inclusive and equitable biodiversity genomics initiatives around the world. Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Phys.org – latest science and technology news stories