In California, in an effort to protect and preserve the Earth’s biodiversity and kick-start an inclusive bio-economy, the World Economic Forum announced a landmark partnership between the Earth BioGenome Project, chaired by Harris Lewin, distinguished professor at the University of California, Davis, and the Earth Bank of Codes to map the DNA of all life on Earth.
The Earth BioGenome Project aims to sequence the DNA of all living things on the planet, some 1.5 million known species including all known plants, animals and single-celled organisms. The ambitious project will take 10 years to complete and cost an estimated $4.7 billion.
The Earth Bank of Codes will make this biological data available to bio-innovators around the world. The goal is to unlock the potential of the planet’s biodiversity while advancing the marketplace for bio-inspired chemicals, materials, processes and innovations capable of solving some of the most pressing issues facing humanity.