The Wellcome Sanger Institute’s Tree of Life program aims to increase the publication rate of genome notes from approximately 30 to 200 per month through a new workflow developed with F1000 for Wellcome Open Research. The process combines computer-assisted assessment with human peer review to support the publication of genome research relevant to agriculture, conservation, and medicine.
The Darwin Tree of Life program, led by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, aims to sequence the genomes of all known species in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The initiative forms part of the broader Earth BioGenome Project, an international effort to sequence the genomes of life on Earth. Each completed genome is documented in an open research genome note, allowing researchers worldwide to interpret, reference, and reuse the data.
The Tree of Life Gateway, hosted by Wellcome Open Research and launched in May 2021, contains more than 1,900 genome notes from researchers at universities, museums, and horticultural organizations across the UK and Ireland. The collection includes genome sequences for species such as the red squirrel, Eurasian river otter, and deathwatch beetle.
To support its goal of publishing and indexing genome notes for approximately 30,000 identifiable species across the UK and Ireland, the program has introduced a specialized publishing workflow designed to increase publication capacity while maintaining research integrity standards.
James Cleaver, head of publishing at F1000, explained that the structured format of genome notes enabled the organizations to redesign the publication process. He noted that the workflow combines publishing technology with human oversight to support the integrity and reliability of published research and help genome note publication keep pace with the program’s sequencing activities.
The first stage of the workflow uses computer-assisted assessment to evaluate each submission against metrics covering genome continuity, structural accuracy, base accuracy, functional completeness, and chromosome status. These measurements are incorporated into the published articles to provide reviewers and readers with information about genome quality.
After online publication and the initial computer-assisted assessment, genome notes undergo Wellcome Open Research’s post-publication open peer-review process. This involves an invited expert reviewer or a panel of peer reviewers. The combined approach uses automated benchmarking alongside independent human review and has received approval from indexing services, including PubMed.
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