A world-first online tool is tracking Australia’s progress in sequencing the full genomes of more than 250,000 known and catalogued species, with new figures showing just two per cent have been sequenced at least once.
Genome Tracker, launched as part of the Australian Reference Genome Atlas (ARGA), visualises where genetic data exists across the tree of life and where gaps remain. The platform is delivered through the Atlas of Living Australia, Bioplatforms Australia, Australian BioCommons and the Australian Research Data Commons, and is hosted by CSIRO.
“Whole genome sequencing for plants and animals provides insights for ecology, conservation biology, agriculture and biosecurity,” Dr Kathryn Hall, ARGA project lead at CSIRO, said. “It helps researchers map existing genomic coverage and highlights under-represented areas for research.”
The long-term ambition is to publish genomes across a broad cross-section of Australia’s biodiversity. “Genomes help us understand the adaptive traits of species – how they’ve uniquely adapted to their environment and how they’re evolving,” Dr Hall said. “The higher branches in the taxonomic tree of life represent older genomic divergence.” According to ARGA, those ancient branches currently have just 32 per cent genomic coverage, a shortfall researchers say limits the ability to trace how species diversified over deep time.
“These are exciting times for biology. Genomes give us roadmaps to trace how life came to be as it is today – and how we can work with that knowledge to protect it for generations to come,” Dr Hall said. “As ecosystems change, this data spotlights populations for monitoring, conservation and protection.”
ARGA’s dashboard draws together taxonomic descriptors, species occurrence records and ecotype layers to allow researchers to filter and search indexed genomic data and track every species in Australia. Genome Tracker and ARGA build on the existing research infrastructure of the Atlas of Living Australia, the national biodiversity data infrastructure hosted by CSIRO.
Recent and landmark Australian genomes underscore the tool’s potential. The Tasmanian Devil became the nation’s first published genome in 2011, underpinning research into Devil Facial Tumour Disease and informing conservation and cancer-resistance studies. The first kangaroo genome, the Tammar Wallaby, was fully published in 2012, revealing genes for special antimicrobial proteins in milk and some 1,500 smell-related genes. The Regent Honeyeater’s 2019 genome showed only a nine per cent loss of genetic diversity despite low numbers, reinforcing the need to preserve remaining diversity and prevent inbreeding. A 2022 study of the Numbat found reduced bitter and sweet taste receptors but enhanced umami receptors, aligning with its specialised termite diet. In 2025, the first genome for a critically endangered parrot, the Orange-bellied Parrot, was published to strengthen captive breeding programmes, following the first parrot genome globally in 2024. Also in 2025, the Southern Corroboree Frog’s genome—three times the size of the human genome—was published to identify genes linked to resistance or susceptibility to chytrid disease, with the aim of breeding resistance for reintroduction.
ARGA is enabled by funding from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and delivered by the Atlas of Living Australia, Bioplatforms Australia, Australian BioCommons and the Australian Research Data Commons. ARGA and the ALA are hosted by CSIRO as key national biodiversity data infrastructure, integrating data from international repositories including NCBI GenBank, EMBL-ENA and Bioplatforms Australia.
