The world’s largest repository of raw genomic sequences from wild plants, animals and fungi is missing critical data necessary to monitor and protect the Earth’s biological diversity, according to a new study.
The missing data includes the time and location the organism’s sample was collected, which is needed for monitoring the genetic diversity of populations.
The research was published recently in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.
“A lot of money is pumped into generating these genomic data, yet most are not useful for biodiversity monitoring due to a lack of metadata,” says Michelle Gaither, an assistant professor in UCF’s Department of Biology and co-author of the study. “The lost investment from missing spatiotemporal metadata totals tens of millions of U.S. dollars and this amount will only grow.”
Read more at University of Central Florida