The ELIXIR Biodiversity Community: Understanding short- and long-term changes in biodiversity

F1000Research, vol. 12, pp. 499

Abstract

Biodiversity loss is now recognised as one of the major challenges for humankind to address over the next few decades. Unless major actions are taken, the sixth mass extinction will lead to catastrophic effects on the Earth’s biosphere and human health and well-being. ELIXIR can help address the technical challenges of biodiversity science, through leveraging its suite of services and expertise to enable data management and analysis activities that enhance our understanding of life on Earth and facilitate biodiversity preservation and restoration. This white paper, prepared by the ELIXIR Biodiversity Community, summarises the current status and responses, and presents a set of plans, both technical and community-oriented, that should both enhance how ELIXIR Services are applied in the biodiversity field and how ELIXIR builds connections across the many other infrastructures active in this area. We discuss the areas of highest priority, how they can be implemented in cooperation with the ELIXIR Platforms, and their connections to existing ELIXIR Communities and international consortia. The article provides a preliminary blueprint for a Biodiversity Community in ELIXIR and is an appeal to identify and involve new stakeholders.

Authors 15

1. Robert Michael Waterhouse corresponding

   SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics · University of Lausanne

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Ecology and Evolution, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Universite de Lausanne, Lausanne, Vaud, 1015

2. Anne‐Françoise Adam‐Blondon

   Université Paris-Saclay · Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement

   Affiliation as printed

   INRAE, BioinfOmics, Plant Bioinformatics Facility, Universite Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, Île-de-France, 78026

3. Bachir Balech

   Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies

   Affiliation as printed

   Istituto di Biomembrane, Bioenergetica e Biotecnologie Molecolari, Bari, 70126

4. Endre Barta

   Magyar Agrár- és Élettudományi Egyetem

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Magyar Agrar- es Elettudomanyi Egyetem, Gödöllő, Pest County

5. Katharina F. Heil

   ELIXIR

   Affiliation as printed

   ELIXIR, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, England, CB10 1SD

6. Graham M. Hughes

   University College Dublin

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Leinster

7. Lars Sommer Jermiin

   University College Dublin

   Affiliation as printed

   Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Leinster

8. Matúš Kalaš

   University of Bergen

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Informatics, Universitetet i Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland

9. Jerry Lanfear

   ELIXIR

   Affiliation as printed

   ELIXIR, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, England, CB10 1SD

10. Evangelos Pafilis

    Hellenic Centre for Marine Research

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, 71003

11. Aristotelis C. Papageorgiou

    Democritus University of Thrace

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis

12. Fotis E Psomopoulos

    Centre for Research and Technology Hellas

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki

13. Niels Raes Aachen Naturalis Biodiversity Center

    Naturalis Biodiversity Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, South Holland

14. Josephine Burgin

    European Bioinformatics Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    EMBL-EBI, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, England, CB10 1SD

15. Toni Gabaldón

    Barcelona Supercomputing Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro Nacional de Supercomputacion, Barcelona, Catalonia

    Institut de Recerca Biomedica, Barcelona, Catalonia