How genomics can help biodiversity conservation

The availability of public genomic resources can greatly assist biodiversity assessment, conservation, and restoration efforts by providing evidence for scientifically informed management decisions. Here we survey the main approaches and applications in biodiversity and conservation genomics, considering practical factors, such as cost, time, prerequisite skills, and current shortcomings of applications. Most approaches perform best in combination with reference genomes from the target species or closely related species. We review case studies to illustrate how reference genomes can facilitate biodiversity research and conservation across the tree of life. We conclude that the time is ripe to view reference genomes as fundamental resources and to integrate their use as a best practice in conservation genomics.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The era of reference genomes in conservation genomics

Progress in genome sequencing now enables the large-scale generation of reference genomes. Various international initiatives aim to generate reference genomes representing global biodiversity. These genomes provide unique insights into genomic diversity and architecture, thereby enabling comprehensive analyses of population and functional genomics, and are expected to revolutionize conservation genomics

The era of reference genomes in conservation genomics

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The era of reference genomes in conservation genomics

Progress in genome sequencing now enables the large-scale generation of reference genomes. Various international initiatives aim to generate reference genomes representing global biodiversity. These genomes provide unique insights into genomic diversity and architecture, thereby enabling comprehensive analyses of population and functional genomics, and are expected to revolutionize conservation genomics

How genomics can help biodiversity conservation

The availability of public genomic resources can greatly assist biodiversity assessment, conservation, and restoration efforts by providing evidence for scientifically informed management decisions. Here we survey the main approaches and applications in biodiversity and conservation genomics, considering practical factors, such as cost, time, prerequisite skills, and current shortcomings of applications. Most approaches perform best in combination with reference genomes from the target species or closely related species. We review case studies to illustrate how reference genomes can facilitate biodiversity research and conservation across the tree of life. We conclude that the time is ripe to view reference genomes as fundamental resources and to integrate their use as a best practice in conservation genomics

Improving safety management of biogas in Europe

The investment in the production of renewable energies is experiencing a great development in the world and in particular in Europe. The main drivers are at political, economical and strategic level, and they find their expression in the Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2009/28/EC), the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), the Energy and Climate Change policy framework and in the Energy 2020 strategy, A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy. The main objective of this development is to find alternative energies to replace the fossil energy dependence which is more sustainable and reduce CO2 emissions. Nevertheless, new energy produced by new technologies often generates new risks that have to be properly addressed to guarantee that the transition to a new energy mix with more renewable energy will be performed safely an reach a wide public acceptance. The production of biogas is positioned as energy which can not only generate a source of renewable energy but also which recycles waste. In the context of sustainable development, the place of biogas is therefore essential. Several questions about safety issues, the harmonization of the regulations and the need to develop standards are discussed in this paper, based on the results of the activities of a European Working Group on Biogas Safety and Regulation (EWGBSR) created in 2011. The risks corresponding to the biogas production and use have been framed using the method and tools resulting from the iNTeg-Risk project (www.integ-risk.eu-vri.eu). Several deficits have been identified and a strategy to improve risk management proposed by the EWGBSR. This paper presents the context of biogas in Europe and the strategy proposed by the European working group, covering technical aspects, regulatory and standardization aspects and organizational aspects such as learning from accidents and sharing experience

Benchmark of European Practices for Land-use Planning around Seveso Establishments

International audienceThe authorities in charge of Seveso establishments in the Walloon region of Belgium has organized abenchmark study to understand the practices for land-use planning around Seveso establishments in applicationof the article 13 of the European Directive 2012/18/UE of 4 July 2012, called Seveso III, concerning the controlof major accident hazards involving dangerous substances.The objectives of the study were to:• Analyse the practical implementation of the land use planning (LUP) procedure according to the SevesoIII directive in several member states• Identify the legal basis and the explicit method & criteria for LUP• Identify the measures to control the urbanization around hazardous establishments• Understand the condition of revision of LUP documents in case of modifications of the installations orchanges in the determination of the zones (thresholds, calculation software, databases for failure rates…).The benchmark provides detailed information on the implementation of the land-use planning procedure, and itreveal the commonalities and differences in the approach among European countries and regions