BgBOL: a powerful new alliance for DNA barcoding research in Bulgaria

iBOL Consortium congratulates its Bulgarian colleagues on the newly established Bulgarian Barcode of Life (BgBOL).

As iBOL’s newest node, BgBOL aims to coordinate, support, and promote DNA barcoding research in Bulgaria, focusing on studying and conserving the country’s biodiversity.

“I am so pleased to welcome Bulgarian researchers to iBOL,” said Dr. Paul Hebert, iBOL’s CEO. “Bulgaria is one of Europe’s biodiversity hotspots, and with its diverse landscape – from mountain ranges to national parks and the Black Sea coastline – the Bulgarian Barcode of Life coalition will contribute greatly to iBOL’s efforts to catalogue life on our planet.”

According to the official announcement published in Pensoft Biodiversity Data Journal, iBOL Science Committee member Dr. Georgi Bonchev from the Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, said that BgBOL would open new horizons and opportunities to study and better understand the rich natural world in Bulgaria.

Seven academic partners have joined the BgBOL effort: 

• Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
• Pensoft Publishers
• AgroBioInstitute, Agricultural Academy
• University of Forestry

The Pensoft announcement also noted that its founder and CEO, Prof. Lyobomir Penev, attended the late September DNA barcoding symposium at the Bulgarian Academy of Science, where the BgBOL was officially launched. There, Penev led a discussion on the publication, dissemination and management of DNA barcoding data. His presentation also touched on the relevant biodiversity data workflows and tools currently in development at Pensoft with the support of the Horizon 2020-funded project BiCIKL (abbreviation for Biodiversity Community Integrated Knowledge Library).

“I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in establishing the Bulgarian Barcode of Life! This is a huge step forward in advancing DNA barcoding research in Bulgaria and highlights Pensoft’s continued dedication to the study and, ultimately, the preservation of the conservation of the country’s amazing biodiversity,” comments Prof. Lyubomir Penev.