CBG / massive imaging, DNA-extraction, library preparation and sequencing

Project LIFEPLAN relies on the massive imaging, biomass determination, pre-processing, DNA-extraction, library preparation and sequencing of some 22 000 insect samples and 22 000 fungal cyclone samples collected across 150 sites globally. The total sample volume amounts to some 4.4 m^3 of sample material transported from all continents.

To render the workflow possible, all steps have to be centralized on a single processing facility. Globally, the only facility capable of this task is the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics (CBG) in Guelph, Ontario. As all transport of samples is regulated by the Nagoya protocol, any splitting of tasks among multiple facilities is legally unfeasible based on transnational agreements. No other facility in the world offers a service spanning the full set of analytical steps involved for such a volume of samples (from sample preparation, imaging and biomass determination to library preparation, sequencing, data storage and data analysis using the BOLD and MBRAVE platform). All Lifeplan sequence data and images are directly uploaded to the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) in collaboration with the Collections and Informatics team of CBG. BOLD is the authoritative, global data base for this type of data, and the Informatics team of CBG is the team who created and sustains BOLD. There are no alternative providers of any similar service. The Informatics team is also the creator of Multiplex Barcode Research and Visualization Environment (mBrave) bioinformatics platforms, which is used to match individual sequences with the latest BINs (Barcode Index Numbers; similar to species indices) of BOLD. Since no other facility in the world can provide these services, project LIFEPLAN is fully dependent on the data systems of CBG.