BMC Genomic Data is calling for submissions to our Collection on animal data notes. The number of available genomic datasets has grown tremendously over the past decade. This growth has been notably accelerated by the advances in the field that now enable faster and more accurate sequencing of genomes, and at reasonable costs. Key challenges associated with this increase in datasets is ensuring they are easily found, facilitating their dissemination, and enabling easy reuse. The FAIR Guiding Principles provide important guidelines towards accomplishing this aim, but collections such as this one can also facilitate access to specific subsets of datasets.

Furthering our understanding of the genetic makeup of animal species is crucial for a multitude of applications, including conservation biology, veterinary medicine, and agriculture. The advent of single-cell RNA sequencing and similar techniques has enabled researchers to produce detailed datasets that offer insights into species diversity, evolutionary relationships, and the genetic basis of traits. For instance, the integration of omics approaches has enabled a more holistic understanding of biological processes, leading to innovations in animal breeding. For example, the identification of immune-related genes that can be targeted to enhance disease resistance in livestock. In addition, emerging applications such as the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning for data analysis, environmental metagenomics, and genomic approaches to conservation of threatened species are also areas of interest.

It is through insights like these, and by continuing to produce and share an ever-increasing body of relevant datasets, that we can hope to deepen our understanding of the world around us and how the different species inhabiting our environment interact. Furthermore, we may be able to identify traits that make certain animal populations more resilient to challenges like climate change. By working together and sharing their results, researchers can hope to tackle challenges in animal biology and ecology and help shape a healthier and more sustainable planet.

Data notes of interest include, but are not limited, to:

Comparative genomics of mammals

Advances in transcriptomics for animal research

integration of multi-omics approaches in animal studies

Genomic insights into animal health and disease

Population genetics of wild species

Epigenomic profiling in livestock

Functional annotation of animal genomes

Genomic selection in aquaculture

Genome editing technologies in veterinary science

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer-review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

The last century has seen a large and rapid expansion of human activities which in turn has been destroying ecosystems that had been developing for billions of years. Indeed, growing economic activities often lead to the extinction of species, the degradation of habitats, and the direct destruction of organic life. Human-made global warming is one of the key factors contributing to the sixth mass extinction of species. The ocean has long taken the brunt of the impacts of climate change and has been influenced by the rise in temperature and the associated marine water acidification. These processes are gradually altering the ocean's unique landscapes and biodiversity.

Marine life, from unicellular microorganisms to mammals, is struggling to adapt to new environments and change their distribution and ecological niches. Some of these species are going extinct, while others manage to find rescue and stay alive. Environmental changes and ecosystem destruction have a substantial effect on Earth. However, they also provide exciting opportunities to understand the origin and the evolution of life using elaborate modern methods for observations and outstanding data analysis capabilities.

BMC Genomic Data is calling for submissions to our Collection on marine genomics data notes for early-career researchers (marine biologists, marine ecologists, and evolutionary biologists) on their first step in understanding the world ocean's biodiversity during this era of substantial changes using molecular genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics methods.

For this Collection, we invite data notes describing the application of modern methods for phylogenetic analyses, as well as speciation and molecular evolution studies of marine species in changing environments. Experimental studies demonstrating the importance of epigenetic factors (i.e. non-coding RNAs and RNA/DNA modifications) in adaptation to changing environments and research focused on describing the role of interspecific hybridization and its adaptive potential are also welcome. With this collection we would like to promote the sustainable development goal SDG 14: Life Below Water.

For research papers, please submit to our sister collection, Third dive into marine genomics, featured in BMC Genomics.

N.B. As we understand the importance of the first steps for marine genomics, for this collection BMC Genomic Data would like to encourage manuscripts where the first author is an early-career researcher (BSc, MSc, or PhD student or scientist with no more than 5 years of research experience after the PhD). However, submissions are not limited to this group. As per our policy, APC waivers are available for corresponding authors based in countries listed here: apc waivers | Open research | Springer Nature.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer-review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.