The genetic codes of every animal, plant and fungus in the UK will be sequenced in a massive new project scientists say will benefit everything from conservation to medicine.

Dubbed the Darwin Tree of Life Project, the initiative is part of a massive global effort to unravel the DNA of all life on Earth.

The code of 66,000 species will be obtained over the course of a decade, providing naturalists with unprecedented insights that will turn the study of British wildlife on its head.

Samples will be gathered by teams across the country, and the latest technologies will be employed to process thousands of genomes every year throughout a network of UK institutions.

Amid warnings of a collapse in global biodiversity, the scientists say an understanding of the code underpinning these species will guide efforts to preserve them from extinction

The strategy could also provide enormous benefits for humanity, as researchers say the genetic information obtained will likely form the basis of new drugs, food and even fuels.

The project is launching to coincide with the overarching programme known as the Earth BioGenome Project, which is sequencing the genomes of all 1.5 million known species of animals, plants, fungi and protozoa – lifeforms known collectively as eukaryotes.

British mammals’ fight for survival Show all 11 1 /11 British mammals’ fight for survival British mammals’ fight for survival The Mammal Society’s assessment of Britain’s mammal populations is the first such review in over 20 years. The results reveal winners and losers, and highlight some of the key threat’s facing the country’s wildlife such as habitat loss, invasive species and the spread of diseases. British mammals’ fight for survival Hedgehogs Populations of the much-loved insectivore may have declined by as much as 73% Richard Bowler British mammals’ fight for survival Greater mouse-eared bats Only one of these flying mammals has been recorded in the whole country, in a railway tunnel in West Sussex Andrew Harrington British mammals’ fight for survival Rabbits Despite being a common sight across the countryside, rabbits have decreased in number by nearly 10% Danni Thompson British mammals’ fight for survival Black Rats Though not generally considered threatened animals, black rats number have collapsed in recent years due largely to pest control measures. However their far more common cousins, the brown rats, are thriving. Tim Melling British mammals’ fight for survival Red Squirrels Though it is difficult to measure changes in squirrel numbers, their range has shrunk considerably due largely to the spread of squirrel pox virus by invasive grey squirrel Alistair Marsh British mammals’ fight for survival Wildcats There has been a marked decline in wildcat populations, with only around 200 left in Scotland Rachel Profit British mammals’ fight for survival Badgers Due to legal protections badgers have recovered from past persecution and the density of their setts (holes) has increased by over 100% in recent decades Phil Mumby British mammals’ fight for survival Otters The banning of persistent organic pesticides has had a positive population effect on otters Allan Chard British mammals’ fight for survival Fallow Deer The 2018 review estimates a population size of fallow deer almost three times the size of that estimated in the 1995 review – a positive trend that is seen in other deer species. James Shooter British mammals’ fight for survival Eurasian Beavers These aquatic mammals were nearly extinct in Europe at the start of the 20th century, but their reintroduction to the UK have been largely successful Paul Scott

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge will serve as the UK genome-sequencing hub, with institutions from the Natural History Museum to the University of Edinburgh adding their expertise.

The project is estimated to cost around £100m in the first five years.

“Globally, more than half of the vertebrate population has been lost in the past 40 years, and 23,000 species face the threat of extinction in the near future,” said Professor Mike Stratton, director of the institute.

“Using the biological insights we will get from the genomes of all eukaryotic species, we can look to our responsibilities as custodians of life on this planet, tending life on Earth in a more informed manner using those genomes, at a time when nature is under considerable pressure, not least from us.”

The work will build on a previous project by Sanger scientists that saw them sequence 25 key British species including red and grey squirrels, robins and blackberries.

The chair of the Earth BioGenome Project, Professor Harris Lewin of the University of California, Davis, said British efforts would serve as a model for projects around the world to follow.

For the UK, Dr Tim Littlewood from the Natural History Museum said the initiative will allow scientists to re-evaluate their understanding of well-known species.

“A lot of the UK’s species lists and ID guides are now over 100 years old,” he said.

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“We’ve not actually redressed, or returned to, our own natural history for a very long time in any grand system. And we’ve not yet looked at it in a modern sense, either.”

In recent months and years it has become clear that British species – from hedgehogs to puffins – are under serious threat from pollution, industrial agriculture and climate change.

Genetic data can help protect these creatures by revealing their strengths and vulnerabilities, for example the ability to withstand changing temperatures or susceptibility to certain diseases.