title: The Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance (GIGA): developing community resources to study diverse invertebrate genomes.
abstract: Over 95% of all metazoan (animal) species comprise the "invertebrates," but very few genomes from these organisms have been sequenced. We have, therefore, formed a "Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance" (GIGA). Our intent is to build a collaborative network of diverse scientists to tackle major challenges (e.g., species selection, sample collection and storage, sequence assembly, annotation, analytical tools) associated with genome/transcriptome sequencing across a large taxonomic spectrum. We aim to promote standards that will facilitate comparative approaches to invertebrate genomics and collaborations across the international scientific community. Candidate study taxa include species from Porifera, Ctenophora, Cnidaria, Placozoa, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, Annelida, Bryozoa, and Platyhelminthes, among others. GIGA will target 7000 noninsect/nonnematode species, with an emphasis on marine taxa because of the unrivaled phyletic diversity in the oceans. Priorities for selecting invertebrates for sequencing will include, but are not restricted to, their phylogenetic placement; relevance to organismal, ecological, and conservation research; and their importance to fisheries and human health. We highlight benefits of sequencing both whole genomes (DNA) and transcriptomes and also suggest policies for genomic-level data access and sharing based on transparency and inclusiveness. The GIGA Web site (http://giga.nova.edu) has been launched to facilitate this collaborative venture.
authors: Heather
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authors: Bracken-Grissom
authors: Allen G
authors: AG
authors: Collins
authors: Timothy
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authors: Collins
authors: Keith
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authors: Crandall
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Distel
authors: Casey
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authors: Dunn
authors: Gonzalo
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authors: Giribet
authors: Steven
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authors: Haddock
authors: Nancy
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authors: Knowlton
authors: Mark
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authors: Martindale
authors: Mónica
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authors: Medina
authors: Charles
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authors: Messing
authors: Stephen J
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authors: O'Brien
authors: Gustav
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authors: Paulay
authors: Nicolas
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authors: Putnam
authors: Timothy
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authors: Ravasi
authors: Greg W
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authors: Rouse
authors: Joseph F
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authors: Ryan
authors: Anja
authors: A
authors: Schulze
authors: Gert
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authors: Wörheide
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Adamska
authors: Xavier
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authors: Bailly
authors: Jesse
authors: J
authors: Breinholt
authors: William E
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authors: Browne
authors: M Christina
authors: MC
authors: Diaz
authors: Nathaniel
authors: N
authors: Evans
authors: Jean-François
authors: JF
authors: Flot
authors: Nicole
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authors: Fogarty
authors: Matthew
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authors: Johnston
authors: Bishoy
authors: B
authors: Kamel
authors: Akito Y
authors: AY
authors: Kawahara
authors: Tammy
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authors: Laberge
authors: Dennis
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authors: Lavrov
authors: François
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authors: Michonneau
authors: Leonid L
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authors: Moroz
authors: Todd
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authors: Oakley
authors: Karen
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authors: Osborne
authors: Shirley A
authors: SA
authors: Pomponi
authors: Adelaide
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authors: Rhodes
authors: Scott R
authors: SR
authors: Santos
authors: Nori
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authors: Satoh
authors: Robert W
authors: RW
authors: Thacker
authors: Yves
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authors: Van de Peer
authors: Christian R
authors: CR
authors: Voolstra
authors: David Mark
authors: DM
authors: Welch
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Winston
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D016678:Genome; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D009938:Organizations; D010802:Phylogeny
keywords: GIGA; biodiversity; comparative genomics; consortium; evolution; invertebrates; metazoa