we are
illuminating biodiversity
Why
is biodiversity important
About Us
We are the International Barcode of Life Consortium
iBOL is working to establish an Earth observation system that will discover species, reveal their interactions, and establish biodiversity baselines. We are tracking ecosystems across the planet and exploring symbiomes – the distinct fungal, plant, and animal species associated with host organisms. Our goal is to complete this research and establish baseline data for science and society’s benefit.
Our Impact
We engage scientists, students, and citizens around the world in biodiversity research
Species
Discovery
Species
Interactions
Advances in DNA barcoding, metabarcoding, and eDNA analysis have propelled our understanding of the complex relationships between different species beyond the scope of the ‘food web’ concept. iBOL researchers are working to reveal the symbiome – the entirety of the complex biotic community associated with an organism – to gain a greater understanding of a species’ role in the ecosystem.
Biodiversity
Baselines
In the face of climate change and the ever-increasing impact of the human population upon global biodiversity, the need to establish baseline knowledge has never been more clear. We cannot protect that which cannot be measured or understood, and to further this cause several iBOL projects are using advanced tools like DNA metabarcoding to lay the foundation for a global biosurveillance system.
Our Projects
Costa Rica
BioAlfa
iBOL research helps facilitate Costa Rica’s stated goal to become the first tropical country in the world to fully know its biodiversity
United Kingdom
BIOSCAN-UK
This project aims to study the genetic diversity of 1M flying insects from 100 sites across the UK over a span of five years
Europe
BIOSCAN Europe
Bringing together existing European national networks, scientists and projects that work on the monitoring of biodiversity using DNA barcoding
Canada
Arctic BIOSCAN
Developing a platform for community-based biodiversity monitoring in the Canadian Arctic
What if...
What happens when we illuminate biodiversity?
Bioliteracy at our fingertips
Recent advances are bringing science fiction closer to reality every day. It is already possible to identify unknown specimens in hours – one day it could happen in seconds, like on Star Trek
Monitor and protect the environment
Dangerous invasive species can be caught at the border, identified at any stage of life, or even detected in the wild by grabbing their environmental DNA out of the air
Quality assurance and control
DNA barcoding can be used to detect food substitution, trafficking in endangered species, and the presence of adulterated or harmful products not listed in the ingredients
Our partners & Funders
Supported by Global Excellence
Learn more about iBOL
The International Barcode of Life Consortium is a research alliance undertaking the largest global biodiversity science initiative: create a digital identification system for life that is accessible to everyone