Our Science 28 Feb 2024

Plant genomics puzzles: many mitochondrial genomes

Our scientists have had many breakthroughs assembling challenging plant genomes. As part of our series exploring this, we look at plants’ ability to generate multiple mitochondrial genomes.
Pine Hoverfly (Blera fallaz). Image: Frank Vassen, Flickr (CC)
Our Science 14 Aug 2023

Pine Hoverfly back from the brink in Britain with help of new genomes

With adult Pine Hoverflies seen in Scotland for the first time in many years, top-quality genome sequences are now helping make a permanent success of saving arguably Britain’s most endangered insect.
Our People 9 Jun 2023

See the winning posters as DToL joins forces with the Youth STEMM Award 

Well done to the overall winner and runners-up and thanks to everyone who submitted a poster for the competition, the quality of entries was excellent and made the role of the judges very difficult!
Our People 4 May 2023

Wytham Woods: A bug hunt to transform biology

As DToL's first Genome Observatory, this diverse woodland outside Oxford supplies thousands of arthropods for genome sequencing. Scientists at Wytham then use this data to probe ecological puzzles.
Our Science 21 Apr 2023

Borders Forest Trust: Butterflies, bryophytes and barcoding on the Scottish Borders

One of DToL’s most conservation-conscious collaborations is with the Borders Forest Trust, which manages a landscape-scale restoration. This has yielded many arthropods, bryophytes and other species.
Our Science 2 Feb 2023

Life inside life: Understanding the ‘pandemic’ infecting nearly half of all insect species

As DToL generates genomes for thousands of species, researchers are taking the opportunity to study microbial ‘cobionts’ living alongside and within them, such as Wolbachia bacteria living in insects.
Our People 13 Jan 2023

Broad appeal: DToL’s DNA Barcoding inspires citizen science in Hertfordshire

Following successful ‘Barcoding the Broads’ workshops at the Earlham Institute in Norfolk, DToL public engagement funding now supports a partner project for budding genomicists in a second county. 
Our Science 20 Dec 2022

DToL in 2022: First 500 genome assemblies as project creates a buzz

Alongside an impressive milestone for genomes released to public databases, Darwin Tree of Life has hit the airwaves and science festivals in 2022, as epic species collection efforts continue.
Mistletoe on Wellcome Genome Campus overlaid by Hi-C plot from its genome
Our Science 16 Dec 2022

The year we built the biggest genome in Britain and Ireland

The sight of mistletoe hanging in trees this winter will be especially poignant for DToL scientists who spent many months finding innovative ways to generate this giant genome.
Our People 13 Dec 2022

Fungal forays into Wheatfen

DToL teams will need help finding over 17,000 fungi species in Britain and Ireland. Training local naturalists how to DNA barcode is providing one innovative solution in Norfolk.
crab apple tree on the West Highland Way, Scotland
Our Species 7 Dec 2022

Comparing apples with apples: Our first plant genomes

New reference genomes have been published for Britain and Ireland's only native wild apple, Malus sylvestris, and four varieties of eating apples (Malus domestica) cultivated on these islands.
Orca (Orcinus orca). Image: Andrew Foote (CC)
Our Species 10 Oct 2022

Orcinus orca: How a tragic stranding helped us dive into the killer whale genome

Our new orca reference genome may unlock secrets to this apex predator’s evolution, threats from inbreeding, and better understanding of killer whales in British and Irish waters.
Sequencing the genomes of life on Earth
Our Science 28 Sep 2022

Biodiversity Genomics event returns for third year, as dynamic new scientific field grows globally

This free and open event brings together international researchers to share breakthroughs, challenges and advances in how we apply genomics to understanding, utilising and protecting life on Earth.
badger
Our Species 23 Sep 2022

Badger genome will help study bovine TB, climate change and evolution

Researchers at the University of Oxford collected blood samples from an individual plus both its parents, as part of a long-term study in Wytham Woods.
Small adder's-tongue fern (Ophioglossum azoricum) on Raasay, Scotland
Our Species 10 Aug 2022

Small adder's-tongue fern: A small plant with a big genome

The team from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh couldn’t miss the opportunity to collect the rare Ophioglossum azoricum, taking a trip to the remote Isle of Raasay.
Our Science 5 Jul 2022

Expert local knowledge helps in the hunt for Britain’s rarest plants

The Lizard in Cornwall is home to some of Britain’s rarest plants. But where do they grow? Darwin Tree of Life got in touch with the local experts.
Our People 1 Jul 2022

Little Sparta: From a single tree to a BioBlitz

Darwin Tree of Life, ‘citizen scientists’ and pupils with a predilection for pondlife came together to sample the biodiversity at a Scottish site where nature has returned in force.
"Jedburgh Giant" wych elm
Our Species 13 Jun 2022

Wych elm vs. Dutch elm disease: Giants, genomes and true grit in the Scottish Borders

Dutch elm disease has ravaged our native trees since the 1980s. By studying the genomes of the survivors, we may begin to understand resilience to the fungal pathogen. And you can get involved!
Our People 24 May 2022

Discover the Darwin Tree of Life project at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition

Our landmark project to sequence the genomes of all 70,000 species of eukaryotic organisms in Britain and Ireland will be on show this summer at one of the largest free science festivals in the UK.
Our Species 27 Apr 2022

Understanding our fish, keeping our seas sustainable

Genomics is giving researchers and industry a fine-grain picture of which fish swim in our waters, and where. This knowledge helps avoid the overfishing disasters of the past.
Our Science 28 Mar 2022

100 genomes annotated: EMBL-EBI reaches major milestone

EMBL-EBI's researchers highlight their contributions to the Darwin Tree of Life project and how new genome annotations help to further biodiversity research.
chicken of the woods
Our Species 10 Mar 2022

Chicken of the Woods: Our first fungus genome

Our first fungus genome will help us understand this key ecosystem engineer, its boost to biodiversity, and potential for new medicines and chemical compounds to protect our future.
Our Science 23 Feb 2022

Sequencing all life, explained in numbers

What does it mean to sequence the genomes of all life in Britain and Ireland? Perhaps breaking it down by numbers can help explain!
Jim Lipscombe, Earlham
Our Science 20 Feb 2022

How bioinformatics can crack the complex case of protist biodiversity

Protists have been excruciatingly difficult to study but, thanks to single-cell genomics and bioinformatics underway at the Earlham Institute, we’re finally decoding their abundant biodiversity.
Our Science 17 Feb 2022

Genomes great and small: The diversity of plants

DToL scientists discuss plans to sequence the DNA of every plant species in Britain and Ireland, the diversity of plant genomes and the importance of plant science in the face of global challenges.
Our Species 15 Feb 2022

Parasitoid wasps: Indispensable insects you never think about… or never want to!

Eating caterpillars from the inside, paralysing spiders… and pollinating! Parasitoid wasps are a diverse and massive group of insects, and we’ve just sequenced our first genome of one.
Our People 28 Jan 2022

9 species our scientists are excited about sequencing in 2022

Before a new season of collecting begins in spring, our field teams reflect on some of the fascinating species sent for genome sequencing last year which they are particularly excited to study.
Our Species 21 Jan 2022

Thistle the deer may be gone, but her legacy to science lives on

The long-lived red deer will become "genomotype" for her species, while researchers hope her longevity can help answer questions about ageing and age-related disease.
Lab equipment for sorting protists
Our Science 17 Jan 2022

From pondwater to single cells: 5 tricks for finding protists in the lab

Having transported many litres of pondwater to the lab, here's how our scientists find and isolate the single-celled organisms we want from all the other lifeforms and debris in their water samples.
Greenland wolf and domestic dog
Our Species 12 Jan 2022

Wolf to dog: Digging into the genome of Canis lupus familiaris

Dogs, descended from wolves, were the first animals domesticated by humans, some 40,000 years ago. Our wolf genome is now helping researchers unravel the evolutionary past of our canine companions.
Partridge in a pear tree
Our Species 23 Dec 2021

The 12 Days of Christmas at Darwin Tree of Life

The traditional "12 Days of Christmas" reimagined with the huge variety of species having their genomes sequenced by the Darwin Tree of Life project.
Thistle and calf
Our People 14 Dec 2021

Thistle the red deer: Abandoned exile, TV star, reference genome

The ‘celebrity’ hind that provided blood samples for our genome sequence hails from a historic research project on Rum, has starred in TV films, wowed school children, and sometimes sleeps on a bed.
pearl-bordered fritillary
Our Species 10 Dec 2021

Pearl-bordered fritillary: At risk butterfly lays foundations for her species’ recovery

A female butterfly has not only provided her eggs for reintroduction efforts in the Malvern Hills, but will also become the reference genome for her species - aiding conservation across Britain.
Our Science 6 Dec 2021

Darwin Tree of Life in 2021: Tireless fieldwork and the first beautiful genomes

After pandemic setbacks in 2020, this year saw thousands of samples collected, over 200 genomes assembled, and DToL's first Genome Notes published. We’re ready for 2022!
Phyllodoce mucosa
Our Species 2 Dec 2021

Majestic marine worms under the microscope

Among the coastal creatures collected by the Marine Biological Association for the Darwin Tree of Life project are a staggering variety of marine worms. We get the close up on 14 fascinating species.
Estelle Kilias and Elisabet Alacid sampling the waters of Priest Pot
Our Science 18 Nov 2021

Priest Pot: A seldom-studied protist paradise

Scientists hadn’t surveyed the microscopic creatures in this cut-off Cumbrian pond for a decade. DToL plunged in to sample its genomic riches.
Greenland wolf
Our Species 12 Nov 2021

Where wolves: Can genomics help bring back Britain’s lost apex predator?

Wolves were eradicated from Britain around 300 years ago, leaving a hole in our ecosystem. How might new high-quality genomes help bring back this and other missing species?
Our Science 11 Nov 2021

Snail hunting in the dark sea caves of Wales

Guided by intrepid snail experts, the DToL team at the Marine Biological Association ventured into Pembrokeshire’s sea caves, collecting - and even naming - several tiny marine species.
wolf, devil's coach horse, toad, crab hacker barnacle, ribbon worm
Our Species 29 Oct 2021

Halloween genomes: 5 spooky species newly sequenced

Forget the folklore, never mind the movies. Decoding the DNA of these species can transform our view of them from horror tropes to essential parts of our ecosystem.
Barcoding the Broads training
Our People 28 Oct 2021

Barcoding the Broads: explore the biodiversity on your doorstep 

The Earlham Institute launches its first in-person DNA barcoding training, to help connect people to Norfolk’s nature, and give local naturalists new tools to identify the organisms they study.
Left: Common frog (Rana temporaria); right: common toad (Bufo bufo)
Our Species 25 Oct 2021

Warts and all: The differences between frogs and toads

Darwin Tree of Life has sequenced the genomes for the common frog (Rana temporaria) and common toad (Bufo bufo). But what do “frog” and “toad” mean in an evolutionary and genomic sense?
Bootlace Worm (Lineus longissimus). Image: Mark Blaxter, Wellcome Sanger Institute (CC)
Our Species 18 Oct 2021

Lineus longissimus: Marine medicines from the ribbon worm

The world's longest animal, and very slimy - researchers hope that the genomes of these worms will help uncover new chemical compounds.
Apple tree at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Harvest Festival
Our People 12 Oct 2021

Blazing the apple trail in Edinburgh

The secrets of apple evolution were revealed at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's Harvest Festival - plus our work sequencing genomes of the wild crabapple and its domestic descendants.
Douglas Boyes collecting moths via beating
Our People 8 Oct 2021

Remembering Douglas Boyes

An expert in moth identification and ecology, Doug’s knowledge, energy and generosity will be missed by us all greatly.
Eimeria tenella oocysts
Our Species 23 Sep 2021

Eimeria: The chicken parasite costing farmers billions

By sequencing the genome of this single-celled coccidian parasite, scientists hope to develop better vaccines to protect poultry from a disease causing severe diarrhoea and death.
Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)
Our Species 16 Sep 2021

Large Tortoiseshell: The mystery of Britain’s reappearing butterfly

Having disappeared in the 1950s, this large lepidopteran is back and breeding on UK shores - but we don’t know why. Might its newly sequenced genome provide some clues?
Children's ink blot paintings of insects they studied
Our People 12 Aug 2021

School Fly Trap: Students find world's smallest wasp in their playground

The children were extremely excited to open their malaise traps and find several hundred flying insects, representing at least 100 species.
promo card for Biodiversity Genomics 2021 event
Our Science 29 Jul 2021

Biodiversity Genomics 2021: sequencing genomes across the planet

The second annual Biodiversity Genomics meeting (Sep 27-Oct 1) will connect scientists from the tundra to the tropics, all focused on unlocking the genomic secrets of life on Earth
Robin chicks waiting to be fed
Our People 27 Jul 2021

How one DToL scientist raised four robin chicks

The pressures of managing deliveries of organism samples to the Sanger Institute didn't prepare Radka Platte for avian motherhood.
Our People 4 Jul 2021

Sequencing the earthworms of Wytham Woods

What is it like collecting specimens in the field for DToL? Earthworm specialist Keiron Derek Brown describes his experience and the results of a trip to Wytham Woods.
Konrad Lohse/University of Edinburgh
Our People 29 Jun 2021

Ringlet butterfly and our project's youngest collector

The genome note for the Ringlet butterfly (Aphantopus hyperantus) is now available on Wellcome Open Research
Three algae
Our Science 23 Jun 2021

A Living Treasure of Protist Diversity

CCAP, based near Oban, is helping DToL collect and isolate different strains of algae and protozoa. But most of team's time is taken up maintaining the 3000-plus strains kept in their public collection
Dataset mSciVul1_1
Our Science 8 Jun 2021

New Tree of Life Gateway launches

We’re excited to announce that the Tree of Life Gateway has now been launched on Wellcome Open Research. Jonathan Threlfall and Mark Blaxter wrote an article on the Wellcome Open Research blog to mark the occasion.
Bumblebee by Leon Jarman
Our Species 11 Mar 2021

Release of full bee genome sequences creates a buzz

Full genome sequences for three of the bumblebee species found in Britain and Ireland
Field Cuckoo Bee
Our Species 10 Mar 2021

Successful full genome sequencing of three bumblebee species

The Darwin Tree of Life team are delighted to announce the release of three complete bumblebee genomes this week. 
Tree Lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria)
Our People 12 Feb 2021

Lichens have a certain reputation…

Many find lichens ‘difficult’. Rebecca Yahr, at Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, prefers the term ‘fascinating’, perhaps because she still gets to answer seemingly basic questions with “I don’t know!”
Common Carder Bee
Our Science 18 Dec 2020

Darwin Tree of Life: looking back on 2020

Despite restrictions, 2020 has been a busy year for the Darwin Tree of Life Project. We take a look at some of this year’s achievements and highlights.
Warring uses her popular Instagram account to highlight pondlife.
Our People 27 Oct 2020

The Weird and Wonderful World of Protists

Sally Warring’s first few months at Earlham Institute have been a little out of the ordinary – especially after arriving in the UK from New York in the midst of an accelerating global pandemic. But for someone who studies an unusual group of organisms called protists, extraordinary is the norm.
The rare coral tooth fungus (Hericium coralloides)
Our Science 20 Jul 2020

All Things Fun-GAL

Fungi are some of the least known and mysterious organisms on Earth.
Black Arches Lymantria
Our Science 22 May 2020

International Day of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is at the core of the Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) project, and today (May 22nd) marks the Convention on Biological Diversity’s International Day of Biodiversity.
Mixed clump of liverworts
Our People 22 Apr 2020

Being a Bryophyte GAL

Being a part of the Darwin Tree of Life project, genome sequencing the multicellular organisms of an entire island archipelago, has involved a major shift in the way we think and talk about the plants that we work on
Darwin Tree of Life logo
Our Science 30 Mar 2020

The Darwin Tree of Life Project and the COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures mean that all of the institutions that are partners in the Darwin Tree of Life project have closed their physical doors, with staff working from home.
The genome of a moth comes together using Hi-C data
Our Science 5 Mar 2020

A Moth in the Tree of Life at Sanger

The life of a sample at the Tree of Life labs at the Wellcome Sanger Institute starts with an email forewarning us
Sunbeams shine through ancient woodlands
Our Science 5 Feb 2020

Wytham Woods: the genomics of ecology and evolution

By January 2020, just a few months into the Darwin Tree of Life project, we had sent specimens of 221 arthropod species to the Sanger Institute.