Russia Launches Comprehensive Study Genomes Of Living Organisms In Arctic Region

By Eugene Gerden 

December 10, 2024 | A project to study the genomes of living organisms in the Arctic region, known as “A Thousand Arctic Genomes,” has been launched in Russia. As part of the project, scientists will create genetic data banks and perform whole-genome sequencing of Arctic inhabitants in order to assess biodiversity and use the data obtained to preserve it. 

The project is designed for three years and will be jointly implemented by the non-governmental development institute Innopraktika and Biotek Campus LLC. Most of funding for the project will be provided by Russian oil corporation Rosneft, which is known for its investments in the Russian genetics sector.  

Petr Kamensky, Professor of the Department of Molecular Biology of the Biological Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University and one of the participants of the project, said the targeted species include not only birds, fish, mammals and other large organisms, but also invertebrates, such as worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and even microorganisms. Currently, the scientists are forming the list of living organisms that will be a subject of their study. “This is the cornerstone of the project, since it must be absolutely clear why the genome of a particular species needs to be sequenced,” Kamensky said.  

Evgeny Klimuk, head of the genomic laboratory Biotek Campus, said in an interview with the Russian Vedomosti business paper, as a result of their study, scientists will be able to obtain full-genome sequences of at least 100 species of Arctic animals.   

“The Arctic region is a strategically important region for the Russian Federation, so the task is to preserve biodiversity in this territory,” Klimuk said. The collection of genetic information will allow scientists to study the evolution of animals, their characteristics, as well as the degree of anthropogenic impact on ecosystems. In addition, genomic information may be critical when trying to restore endangered species in the future.  

As scientists explained, organisms living in extreme conditions often have unusual properties that help them survive in a harsh climate. “Most often, this is the ability to produce some interesting biological molecule, protein or antibiotic,” Kamensky from Lomonosov University said. He believes humans can use these properties in biotechnology, medicine, or the food industry. 

According to authors of the project, scientists know little about the genetic diversity of vertebrate populations inhabiting the Russian Arctic. It is expected, at the initial stage a particular attention will be paid for genomic studies of polar bear, living in the Russian Arctic (where most of species of the entire range live).  

According to scientists, such data would be key to understanding the current state of polar bear populations, predicting their numbers, behavior, and planning conservation measures 

As Klimuk from Biotek Kampus has pointed out, scientists around the world have decoded several hundred animal genomes. “These are either animals that are important for agriculture or medicine, or endangered species without taking into account their specific habitats. Sequencing and comparing genomes requires large financial investments, so only large consortiums that from either the state or some large companies can do this kind of work.”  

There are several large-scale projects in this area. One of them is the Vertebrate Genomes Project, which was launched in 2015–2016. The project aims to compile high-quality reference genomes for all mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish, with the ultimate goal of obtaining genomes for more than 70,000 vertebrate species. However, there has been no news about the results of this project for a long time. “Many programs that were launched with great fanfare several years ago have either been frozen or interrupted altogether,” Klimuk noted. 

The only successful project in this area is the Chinese Bird 10,000 Genomes Project. According to Klimuk, this study is halfway through and will be successfully completed in two years. The project is being conducted by the Beijing Genomics Institute, which is one of the world’s largest centers for genetic research. 

In Russia, genetic research on animals is carried out by various groups and individual specialists including A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and some others. According to Kamensky, there are very few projects in the world that focus specifically on the Arctic. “These are individual research teams from all over the world that are not united by specific common goals. Their global goal is to study Arctic biodiversity,” he explained, adding that the Russian project is truly unique on a global scale, since it aims to conduct broad genomic studies of Arctic biodiversity by a single team of specialists.