At this month’s ERGA Plenary meeting, Stefan Prost will present a talk titled “From Genomes to Conservation Policy.”Focusing on endangered cheetahs in Asia and Africa, he will share concrete examples of how genetic information is used to inform conservation and policy decisions, and how to generate meaningful, policy-focused genetic data. Abstract The generation of genomes has become easier over the last years. This has resulted in the publication of a large number of genomes, including those for endangered species. However, a single genome has limited conservation value, but can be the start of conservation focused research. In this presentation I will outline how we go from the generation of a reference genome to conservation policy. My talk will focus on endangered cheetahs in Asia and Africa, and provide concrete examples what genetic information can be and is used for policy and conservation management decision and how to generate meaningful, policy focussed genetic data. Speaker Stefan Prost is a tenure track Assistant Professor at the Ecology and Genetics Research Unit at the University of Oulu, Finland. His research group focuses on conservation and environmental genomics, biodiversity monitoring (in situ and environmental DNA) and wildlife forensics, with a special focus on conservation applications. He is a member of the IUCN working group to reassess the felid taxonomy, an observer member for the University of the Arctic in the Arctic Council Biodiversity Working Group (CAFF) and a scientific advisor for the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). In his research he applies trans- and interdisciplinary research methods to enable evidence-based conservation and to democratize genetic biodiversity monitoring. 🔔 To receive the Zoom link and join this and our upcoming plenary meetings, register as an ERGA member. ▶️ You can watch all previous ERGA Plenary talks here. If you would like to suggest a speaker or topic for a future plenary session, please contact us at training@erga-biodiversity.eu. Your input is very welcome!

This month's ERGA BioGenome Analysis & Applications Seminar will feature two talks that showcase how museum specimens are revealing a roughly 25% decline in the genetic diversity of the moss carder bumblebee over the past century, and how the new Poll-A-Gen project is scaling this approach up to 16 UK bee, wasp and hoverfly species, covering both sampling design and bioinformatic pipelines. This month's speakers are Professor Ian Barnes, Inez Januszczak and Dr. Yacine Ben Chehida. Monday, October 26th 2026 - 12:00 CET Livestream: https://youtube.com/live/zEfbvzScpnU?feature=share Abstract Talk 1: Using museum specimens to understand recent population history in the moss carder bee (Bombus muscorum) Talk 2: The Poll-A-Gen project; sampling Britain’s pollinators for population genomics research Insect pollinators are believed to be in decline across the UK, but we have little genetic baseline information against which to measure how far these declines have eroded their resilience to future change. In the first talk, we present whole-genome data from 101 museum specimens of the moss carder bumblebee (Bombus muscorum), collected between 1894 and 2019. These show that the species’ genetic diversity has fallen by about a quarter over the past century, and they also reveal that many historical specimens had been misidentified. We then introduce Poll-A-Gen, a NERC-funded project that is scaling this approach up to 16 bee, wasp and hoverfly species from the United Kingdom by pairing historical museum specimens with new material collected by recorders across the country. The second talk covers how this modern and historical sampling was designed and carried out, and the third covers the bioinformatic pipelines used to produce comparable genomic data from degraded and fresh samples. Speakers Professor Ian Barnes Merit Researcher, Science Group, Natural History Museum, UK. Professor Ian Barnes is a molecular evolutionary biologist who uses ancient DNA to understand how organisms respond to environmental change. He trained in archaeological science and molecular ecology, and held research posts at UCL and Oxford before taking up a faculty post at Royal Holloway. Having worked extensively on studies of Ice Age megafauna, such as woolly mammoths and sabretooth cats, as well as the extinct mammal fauna of the Caribbean, Barnes moved to the NHM in 2013. Subsequent work includes conducting genomic research on Britain’s ancient populations, including Cheddar Man. More recently, he has been working on reference genome generation as part of the Darwin Tree of Life project, and focusing his ancient DNA interests on historical entomological material, in particular insect pollinators. Inez Januszczak Project Coordinator, Science Group, Natural History Museum, UK. Inez Januszczak is a Biologist and Project Manager specializing in coordinating sample acquisition and genomic data generation for both modern and historical material, working across a wide range of eukaryotic species—including terrestrial and marine invertebrates, mammals, birds, reptiles, bryophytes, and algae. Since 2021, she has been based at the Natural History Museum, where she is the Project Coordinator for the Darwin Tree of Life Project and the Poll-A-Gen project. With a background in animal pathology and epidemiology, her experience spans over 10 years working with global institutions, including the Zoological Society of London and the Oceanogràfic Aquarium in Valencia. Inez holds a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford and a Master’s in Wild Animal Biology from the Royal Veterinary College. Dr Yacine Ben Chehida Bioinformatician, Science Group, Natural History Museum, UK. Yacine Ben Chehida is an evolutionary biologist and bioinformatician specializing in population genomics and the analysis of modern and historical DNA. His research explores the genomic basis of adaptation and speciation across a range of species, including insects and marine mammals. He is currently based at the Natural History Museum, where he works as the bioinformatician for the Poll-A-Gen project, contributing to the sequencing and genomic analysis of Britain’s pollinators. With a background in evolutionary genomics, his current work involves applying and developing computational approaches to compare the genome of museum and modern samples to investigate how their genetic variation changed over time.

This month's ERGA BioGenome Analysis & Applications Seminar will feature talks by Emile Gluck-Thaler and Aaron Vogan on the recently discovered Starship giant transposons and their implications for the study of fungal evolution and adaptation. See more details below Wednesday, September 30th 2026 - 16:00 CEST Abstract Talk 1: Starship transposons and the makings of a new framework to understand fungal evolution Talk 2: Starship transposons: Drivers of adaptation across fungi Starships are a recently discovered superfamily of giant transposons found across hundreds of fungal species. Starships are fundamentally unlike typical eukaryotic transposons because they span hundreds of kilobases and mobilize dozens of genes, including those encoding phenotypes ranging from stress resistance to host-microbe interactions. Although we have known about the existence of Starships for only five years, sustained efforts and collaborations are rapidly establishing systems to move from identifying genomic patterns to characterizing the genetic processes underpinning Starship biology, including their roles as vectors of fungal-to-fungal horizontal gene transfer. We argue that the little we know about Starships already raises important questions about the mechanisms of adaptation across medically, agriculturally and economically important groups of fungi. Drawing on examples of Starship activity spanning individual species to entire phyla, we build on existing models of fungal genome biology to propose that Starships are a distinct genomic compartment whose dynamics must be considered to fully understand and predict the mode and tempo of fungal evolution. Speakers Dr. Emile Gluck-Thaler Assistant professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison Dr. Gluck-Thaler received his PhD in 2019 from the Ohio State University. In 2023, he began his current position as an assistant professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is the PI of the Fungal Interactions Lab. The goal of the Fungal Interactions Lab is to better understand the fungi that threaten plant and human health with a focus on answering the question: how do fungi acquire new strategies for interacting with other organisms, including humans, plants and other microbes? Dr. Aaron Vogan, Docent, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Institute of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University Received his PhD from McMaster University in 2016. In 2020 received funds to begin his own research group at Uppsala University. In 2024 became an associate professor. He is the PI of the Fungal Accessory Genome Evolution lab, where we seek to understand how within population/species variation shapes fungal evolution and adaptation. Research encompasses human and plant pathogens, as well as model organisms across filamentous fungi. We seek to obtain comprehensive views of fungal biology by integrating molecular biology, physiology, population and comparative genomics to uncover how these organisms are capable of adapting to nearly every niche on Earth.

News Upcoming Seminar: Starship transposons & fungal evolution The Data Analysis Committee is relaunching its seminar series in collaboration with the BGE+ BioGenome App Network. The first session will take place on 30 September and focus on comparative genomics, featuring talks by Emile Gluck-Thaler and Aaron Vogan on the recently discovered Starship giant transposons and their implications for the study of fungal evolution and adaptation. See more details here. Mark your calendars: seminars will now run every month, offering a regular space for the ERGA community to explore tools, methods, and applications in genomic data analysis. ERGA Community Genomes: 55 Species and Counting TThe ERGA Community Genomes spreadsheet now tracks 55 species from individual labs and collaborations across the community. This spreadsheet supplies information about ERGA community genome projects to the Genomes on a Tree (GoaT) platform. If you are working on a reference genome and haven't added your entry yet, reach out to request edit access: secretariat@erga-biodiversity.org CONSENSA Consensus Standards for Applied Biodiversity Genomics Launching November 2026 The new CONSENSA COST Action officially launches in November 2026. Over the next four years, CONSENSA will work to harmonise methods for genome-wide genetic diversity analysis across the community, through 5 Working Groups covering protocols, metadata management, conservation applications, capacity building, and communication. Benefits for ERGA members include travel reimbursement for meetings and conference grants. You can apply to join a Working Group directly via the COST website and Management Committee recruitment from ERGA countries is still open; see the current list here (max. 2 per country). Mollusc Genomics Workshop 2026 Another successful Mollusc Genomics Workshop took place in Frankfurt from 30 August – 3 September, organised by Julia Sigwart and Carola Greve. The workshop featured excellent research presentations alongside discussions on the ongoing challenges limiting the production of high-quality mollusc genomes, a taxonomic group that still lags behind others due to difficult DNA extraction and highly repetitive genome assemblies. ERGA members interested in mollusc genomics are warmly invited to join future discussions on this topic! 🐌 Annotation Committee: Get Feedback on Your Annotations! The Annotation Committee is inviting ERGA members to get involved! If you're working on a genome annotation and would like feedback, you're welcome to reach out to the committee. They're now incorporating this into the last 15 minutes of each monthly meeting, a great opportunity to discuss your work with the community. The next Annotation committee meeting will happen on Tuesday October 13th - write to annotation@erga-biodiversity.eu to join! BGE+ Cascade Funding: Country Readiness Update The country readiness survey for the BGE+ cascade funding call has now been completed by 29 countries, helping shape calls that reflect the community's needs. Proposal development webinars will follow early next year. Details will be announced soon in upcoming ERGA plenaries and newsletters. Highlighted publication: Bat1K Publishes in Nature 🦇 ERGA Associate Partner, the Bat1K project has published its first-phase results in Nature: 103 chromosome-level bat genomes, including 42 new ones, covering all 21 bat families. Together with fossil data, they yield a revised bat family tree and suggest that bats, and powered flight, originated in Europe in the late Palaeocene. Congratulations to the whole Bat1K consortium! Events Integrating Scales in Planetary Biology Uppsala, 28–30 October 2026 From genomes to ecosystems: how does biology at every scale shape resilience on a changing planet? SciLifeLab's follow-up to the 2025 EMBO Lisbon workshop, with a dedicated Biodiversity Decline session and speakers including Anne Magurran, Arnau Sebé-Pedrós and Detlev Arendt. Abstracts by 7 September. https://lyyti.events/p/Integrating_Scales_in_Planetary_Biology_5919 LRUA 2026 – Long-Read Sequencing Uppsala Uppsala, 2–4 November 2026 The annual long-read sequencing meeting from NGI and Clinical Genomics Uppsala, this year with a Biodiversity workshop and speakers including Evan Eichler, Rosa Fernández and Linnea Smeds. The week after Planetary Biology – one trip, two meetings. Abstracts by 26 August. https://lrua.se/ 5th BioHackathon Germany Göttingen, Germany | 7 - 12 December BioHackathon 2026 9-13 November | Barcelona, Spain 2027 Student Conference on Conservation Science 30 March - 01 April, 2027 | Cambridge, UK IBE PhD Symposium 2026 October 15 | Barcelona, Spain Featured conferences with sessions organized by ERGA members: Are you attending events or organizing sessions/workshops not listed here? Let us know here, we can help you reach more attendees from the biodiversity genomics community! From the #ERGABlog When genomes meet local knowledge Building shared standards for biodiversity genomics in Europe The Biodiversity Genomics alphabet 2: RNA Useful links HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE? Click and Submit to ERGANews! Click here to become an ERGA Member Public EVENTS calendar here - add this to your Calendar or iCalendar! 💬 Follow us on social media! BlueSky LinkedIn YouTube

News End of Term: Thank You to Our Chair and Vice Chairs! As we approach the end of the current 3-year term, we want to thank our Chair Rob Waterhouse and Vice Chairs, Ann Mc Cartney and Olga Vinnere Pettersson, for their dedicated service to ERGA. In the coming weeks, we will be launching a call for participation in the ERGA Nominations Working Group, a great opportunity to get involved in ERGA governance and help ensure our election process remains robust and true to our principles of diversity and inclusion. The Working Group will identify candidates and organise the ERGA Council voting, with the goal of announcing the new Chair and Vice Chairs at the November Council meeting. Stay tuned for more details on how to get involved! Biodiversity Genomics Europe plus (BGE+) Call for Project Proposals The ERGA community is preparing proposals for the upcoming BGE+ Call for Project Proposals, offering EUR 30K to 60K for reference genome production and/or application. See the June Plenary slides for full context. We're assessing country readiness and helping teams form ahead of the call. Council representatives play a supportive role — sharing information and connecting interested members, rather than coordinating a single national submission. Note: terms, eligibility, and evaluation criteria are still being finalised by BGE+, so details may change. More updates will follow at ERGA Plenary Meetings throughout 2026. Bulgaria at center stage of Lepidoptera Genomics 🦋 From 15–19 June 2026, Vlahi in Bulgaria's Kresna Gorge hosted a first-of-its-kind expedition: over 50 entomologists, genomics experts, and conservationists from 17 countries gathered to collect specimens for sequencing Europe's butterflies and moths. Led by the National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the event brought together three collaborating initiatives — Project Psyche Project Psyche, COST Action CA23122 (10kLepGenomes), and LepEU.— with partners including Lund University, Stockholm University, and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. The expedition's emblematic species was Janthinea forsterorum, a Balkan endemic moth described in 2025. The event marks an important step toward building a regional genomics hub in the Balkans. Check out some photos: CONSENSA – Consensus Standards for Applied Biodiversity Genomics The new CONSENSA COST network funding offers ERGA Members a great opportunity to develop solutions to improve standards in biodiversity genomics research using reference genomes. Its aim is to establish consensus-based standards for generating, analysing, and applying genome-wide biodiversity data — making genomic evidence accurate, comparable, and usable for research, conservation, bioeconomy, and policy. You can apply to join one of the 5 CONSENSA Working Groups directly via the COST website — membership also makes you eligible for funded networking activities and small grants (e.g. conference registrations). We're also recruiting Management Committee members from ERGA countries; see the current list here. This is a separate role from ERGA Council country representative, though some may hold both. More details will follow at ERGA Plenary Meetings, make sure to attend! BGE+ European Historical DNA Capability Survey As part of the Biodiversity Genomics Europe Plus (BGE+) project, we are developing methods to help the museum genomics community work more efficiently, cost-effectively, and at greater scale. This survey aims to identify the approach and capacity currently available in laboratories across Europe that deal with historical DNA. The information collected will help ensure that the methods we develop are as widely applicable and accessible as possible. Events Integrating Scales in Planetary Biology Uppsala, 28–30 October 2026 From genomes to ecosystems: how does biology at every scale shape resilience on a changing planet? SciLifeLab's follow-up to the 2025 EMBO Lisbon workshop, with a dedicated Biodiversity Decline session and speakers including Anne Magurran, Arnau Sebé-Pedrós and Detlev Arendt. Abstracts by 7 September. https://lyyti.events/p/Integrating_Scales_in_Planetary_Biology_5919 LRUA 2026 – Long-Read Sequencing Uppsala Uppsala, 2–4 November 2026 The annual long-read sequencing meeting from NGI and Clinical Genomics Uppsala, this year with a Biodiversity workshop and speakers including Evan Eichler, Rosa Fernández and Linnea Smeds. The week after Planetary Biology – one trip, two meetings. Abstracts by 26 August. https://lrua.se/ Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Conference 2026 21-25 September | Oslo, Norway / Hybrid Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes 5 - 10 October | San Feliu, Spain BioHackathon 2026 9-13 November | Barcelona, Spain 2027 Student Conference on Conservation Science 30 March - 01 April, 2027 | Cambridge, UK Featured conferences with sessions organized by ERGA members: Are you attending events or organizing sessions/workshops not listed here? Let us know here, we can help you reach more attendees from the biodiversity genomics community! From the #ERGABlog When genomes meet local knowledge Building shared standards for biodiversity genomics in Europe The Biodiversity Genomics alphabet 2: RNA Useful links HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE? Click and Submit to ERGANews! Click here to become an ERGA Member Public EVENTS calendar here - add this to your Calendar or iCalendar! 💬 Follow us on social media! BlueSky LinkedIn YouTube

News SMBE 2026 - Let's connect! ERGA is proud to support SMBE 2026 as a sponsor. The ERGA Awards have already been granted, and we will soon share more about the winners. If you are joining the meeting, stop by the ERGA booth. We would love to meet you and connect in person!! Join the new ERGA Pangenomes Working Group! We are excited to launch the new ERGA Pangenomes Working Group, starting on May 25th during the DAC regular meeting. Open to beginners and experts alike, this group will focus on one of the most pressing challenges in the field of pangenomes, which is the need for standards. We also want to create a space to share ideas, discuss best practices, and learn from each other’s experiences. ERGA is a bottom-up community, and everyone’s perspective is welcome. Whether you are just getting started or already working in this area, we would love to build this together with you! Your Input for EBP Phase II As the Earth BioGenome Project moves toward Phase II, this is a key moment to understand the current capacity, priorities, and challenges across our global community. They invite everyone involved in biodiversity genome sequencing to complete a short 5-minute survey. Your responses will help provide a snapshot of who is doing this work, where it is happening, and what is needed to scale genome production effectively. The results will help EBP identify technical barriers, coordination needs, and opportunities where shared standards, support, and collaboration could accelerate progress. Unless otherwise indicated, responses will be reviewed in aggregate and will help inform Phase II planning discussions across the EBP community. 🐐 GoaT Update New data visualisation features in Genomes on a Tree ( GoaT), including a toggle to show value ranges and the use of the tilde (~) symbol to distinguish estimated ancestral values from direct measurements. These updates make it easier to interpret metadata across the eukaryotic tree of life. Events MCEB 2026 Mathematical and Computational Evolutionary Biology 4-8 May - Heraklion, Crete European Congress of Conservation Biology (ECCB) 2026 6-10 July - Leiden, The Netherlands European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB 2026) 31 August - 3 September | Geneva, Switzerland 2nd Molluscan Genomics Workshop 30 August - 3 September | Frankfurt, Germany Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Conference 2026 21-25 September | Oslo, Norway / Hybrid BioHackathon 2026 9-13 November | Barcelona, Spain Featured conferences with sessions organized by ERGA members: Are you attending events or organizing sessions/workshops not listed here? Let us know here, we can help you reach more attendees from the biodiversity genomics community! From the #ERGABlog: watch and explore How do you turn many individual experiences, workflows, and challenges into something the whole community can use? Watch Katja Reichel discuss the writing behind a recent publication and how individual contributions can come together to create a resource with real value for the wider community. How many species do we walk past every day without ever noticing them? We introduce Leviellus thorelli as one of the species selected for sequencing in the Community-Driven Reference Genomes under BGE. What does it actually take to move from a biological specimen to a sequence-ready sample? Rita Monteiro presents BGE WP5 and the coordination between sample providers, specimens, and sequencing centres. Useful links HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE? Click and Submit to ERGANews! Click here to become an ERGA Member Public EVENTS calendar here - add this to your Calendar or iCalendar! 💬 Follow us on social media! BlueSky LinkedIn YouTube

News A new ERGA Framework for community-engaged biodiversity genomics A new ERGA-associated article in Biological Conservation presents a five-step framework for engaging European Local Communities in biodiversity genomics research. The article argues that genomic data can better support conservation, management, and policy when research is developed with attention to the people who live in, work with, and care for the species and places being studied. Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) can help shape sampling, interpretation, communication, and the practical use of results, while early dialogue is especially important for projects involving biological materials, genomic data, locality information, repository deposition, and future reuse. The framework guides researchers through early relationship building, respect for local context, co-created roles, transparent benefit sharing, and long-term knowledge transfer. For ERGA, the article contributes to ongoing efforts to make biodiversity genomics more open, locally informed, and useful for conservation decision-making. More information is available here. SMBE 2026 - Wrap up Thank you to everyone who passed by the ERGA booth at SMBE 2026 to meet us, ask questions, and discuss the future of biodiversity genomics. It was motivating to hear about the directions in which genomics-based research is moving, and to connect with so many members of the community in person. We would also like to thank all participants in the Pangenomes symposium for contributing to such a thoughtful and timely discussion. A special thank you goes to our two fantastic ERGA ambassadors, Roisin Long and Sonia Cebrian Camison. The new ERGA Voices series will begin with their interview, so stay tuned for this new project!!! Call for ERGA proposal leads: Biodiversa+ 2026–2027 The ERGA Executive Board invites short Expressions of Interest from ERGA members who would like to lead a proposal for the upcoming Biodiversa+ 2026–2027 Joint Call, Novel ecosystems: biodiversity, socio-ecological consequences and future trajectories. EOIs should briefly describe the research idea, main objectives, partners or expertise sought, and relevant data, resources, or infrastructures. Possible themes include population connectivity, urban ecosystems, and caves or other systems under novel environmental pressures, although ideas across the full scope of the call are welcome. Selected proposal leads will receive support from the ERGA Executive Board in building consortia and aligning proposals with ERGA priorities. EOIs should be submitted between 17 August and 4 September 2026 to funding@erga-biodiversity.org. More information about the call is available here. Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes: Exceptions to the rules ERGA is pleased to help share CGUE26, the 2026 edition of Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes: Exceptions to the rules, taking place in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Spain, from 5–10 October 2026. The meeting will bring together researchers working across comparative genomics, molecular evolution, cell biology, and the diversity of unicellular eukaryotes. With invited and contributed talks, poster sessions, early-career researcher activities, and opportunities for discussion, CGUE26 offers a valuable space to explore how protist genomes are reshaping our understanding of eukaryotic biology. Registration is open on a rolling basis, with limited capacity and a current deadline of 15 July 2026. More information and registration details are available on the official CGUE26 website. 🌍 BGE+ Cascade Funding BGE+ Cascade Funding will provide a route for community-led activities that contribute to the objectives of the project and support the wider development of biodiversity genomics across Europe. Beginning at the September Plenary, we will make a series of presentations to explain the scope of the funding, the expected application process, and the types of applicants and partnerships that may be eligible. These updates will continue in the period leading to the opening of the official call, which is currently planned for February 2027. In the meantime, members who are interested in developing potential proposals or identifying partners within and outside their countries are encouraged to contact their national representatives and/or the ERGA Secretariat (secretariat@erga-biodiversity.org). 🪢 ERGA CONSENSA - COST Action Community members will soon be able to express their interest in participating in the ERGA COST Action through the official COST website. Once the Action page is available, participants should read the Memorandum of Understanding, identify the Working Group or Working Groups most closely aligned with their expertise, and apply through the Action page using an e-COST profile. This is the standard route described by COST for joining a COST Action as a Working Group member. Members who are interested in a Management Committee role should follow the separate national nomination process through the COST National Coordinator in their country. Further information will be shared with the ERGA community as soon as the Action page and application link are available. Useful COST links are available here: how to participate in an ongoing COST Action, browse COST Actions, create or access an e-COST profile, and find your COST National Coordinator. The ERGA Pangenomes Working Group! We would like to thank the people who have already expressed their interest in participating. This strong response shows the value of creating a shared space to discuss pangenomes within ERGA, from first steps to more advanced applications. Everyone in the ERGA community is welcome to subscribe and take part, including members who are beginning to explore pangenomes and those already working with pangenome methods, tools, or data. The Working Group has also started defining its first actions, with the aim of completing this initial phase by the next meeting in September. Members who have not yet expressed an interest can still do so using the link below. The form will remain open for the coming months, so people can join as the group develops. Further information is available in the meeting agenda here. Events European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB 2026) 31 August - 3 September | Geneva, Switzerland 2nd Molluscan Genomics Workshop 30 August - 3 September | Frankfurt, Germany Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Conference 2026 21-25 September | Oslo, Norway / Hybrid BioHackathon 2026 9-13 November | Barcelona, Spain Featured conferences with sessions organized by ERGA members: Are you attending events or organizing sessions/workshops not listed here? Let us know here, we can help you reach more attendees from the biodiversity genomics community! Useful links HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE? Click and Submit to ERGANews! Click here to become an ERGA Member Public EVENTS calendar here - add this to your Calendar or iCalendar! 💬 Follow us on social media! BlueSky LinkedIn YouTube

Biodiversity genomics is changing how researchers understand species, populations, and ecosystems. Genome-wide data can reveal genetic diversity, population structure, inbreeding, gene flow, and signals of adaptation. These insights can help inform conservation, management, and policy. Yet the meaning and usefulness of genomic evidence often depend on the places, species, and people connected to the research. A new perspective article published in Biological Conservation, Engaging European local communities in biodiversity genomics research: A five-step framework for scientists, addresses this relationship directly. Developed by members of the ERGA community and collaborators, the article proposes a practical framework for engaging European Local Communities in biodiversity genomics projects. The paper starts from a simple point. People who live in, work with, and care for particular places often hold knowledge that cannot be recovered from sequence data alone. Fishers, farmers, foresters, hunters, birdwatchers, local associations, residents, and other community members may know how species move, where they were once found, when habitats changed, or which management actions are likely to be feasible. This Local Ecological Knowledge can improve sampling design, inform interpretation, and help translate results into decisions that make sense in local contexts. The authors also recognise that engagement is still uneven in biodiversity genomics. Researchers may lack time, training, incentives, or practical guidance. Communities may be asked to provide samples, access, or observations without being involved in shaping the questions, interpreting the findings, or deciding how results should be shared. Genomics adds further complexity because projects often involve biological materials, genomic sequence data, genetic variant data, locality information, repository deposition, Digital Sequence Information, and possible future reuse. The proposed framework offers five connected steps for research teams. It begins with identifying relevant communities and building relationships early, before sampling or data collection begins. It then asks researchers to learn and respect local context, communication norms, and knowledge protocols. The third step focuses on co-creating the research process, including shared roles, training, and decision-making where communities wish to take part. The fourth step addresses transparency and mutual benefit, including data management, recognition, communication, and realistic expectations. The final step calls for long-term engagement and knowledge transfer, so that results remain understandable, accessible, and useful after publication. The article is careful not to present community engagement as a simple add-on. It describes it as work that requires time, resources, humility, and clear agreements. It also recognises that participation may not always be possible or desired. In some cases, communities may decline involvement. In others, Local Ecological Knowledge, genomic results, and ecological observations may point in different directions. The framework encourages researchers to document these forms of evidence side by side, with their limits and uncertainties visible. The paper also places biodiversity genomics within a changing policy landscape. Genome-wide evidence can contribute to conservation and management questions linked to genetic diversity, sustainable use, invasive species, disease risk, and biodiversity reporting. For these contributions to be useful beyond research settings, findings need to be communicated in ways that public authorities, practitioners, and communities can understand and evaluate. For ERGA, the article reflects a wider commitment to biodiversity genomics that is open, responsible, and connected to the people and places it seeks to serve. Reference genomes and population genomic data are powerful tools, but their value grows when they are combined with ecological knowledge, clear communication, and respectful collaboration. This framework offers a starting point for research teams, funders, and community partners who want biodiversity genomics to support conservation decisions in a more transparent and locally informed way. Link to the article

News 🌍 BGE+ started!! BGE+ is the next phase of Biodiversity Genomics Europe and will support the continued development of a coordinated European biodiversity genomics community. The project brings together iBOL Europe, ERGA, and CETAF to improve how genomic data are produced, connected, and used across DNA barcoding, reference genomes, taxonomy, collections, informatics, training, and policy-facing work. For ERGA, BGE+ will provide support for the reference genome community through network coordination, BioGenome Hubs, technical exchange, quality-control activities, training, and links to cascade-funded projects. The project will also help widen participation, support shared standards, improve data interoperability, and make outputs more reusable through open and FAIR practices. These activities will contribute to a more coherent European system for biodiversity genomics, while recognising the distributed expertise already present across ERGA members, committees, national nodes, and partner institutions. More information is available in here. 🪢 ERGA COST Action ERGA has been awarded a new COST Action to support the wider use of biodiversity genomics in research, conservation, management, and policy. The Action responds to a growing need for shared standards in how genome-wide data are generated, analysed, interpreted, and communicated. Although genomic methods are increasingly used to assess genetic diversity, harmful variation, and introgression, their uptake remains uneven because methods, terminology, metadata, and reporting practices often differ across studies and countries. This new network will bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, data specialists, and other stakeholders to co-develop practical guidance, training, and communication approaches. For the ERGA community, the Action offers a way to extend existing expertise in reference genomes towards broader applications of genome-wide data, while supporting inclusive participation and knowledge exchange across Europe. More information is available here. Join the ERGA Pangenomes Working Group! The ERGA Pangenomes Working Group has now started, following its first meeting on May 21st during the SAC regular meeting. We would like to thank the more than 100 people who have already expressed their interest in participating. This strong response shows the value of creating a shared space to discuss pangenomes within ERGA, from first steps to more advanced applications. Members who have not yet expressed an interest can still do so using the link below. The form will remain open for the coming months, so people can join as the group develops. SMBE 2026 - Let's connect! ERGA is proud to support SMBE 2026 as a sponsor. The ERGA Awards have already been granted, and we will soon share more about the winners. If you are joining the meeting, stop by the ERGA booth. We would love to meet you and connect in person!! Would you like to reserve a private meeting with an official ERGA representative? Write an email to ERGA Secretariat ⬇️ Events World Biodiversity Forum (WBF) 2026 14–19 June – Davos, Switzerland European Congress of Conservation Biology (ECCB) 2026 6–10 July – Leiden, The Netherlands European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB 2026) 31 August - 3 September | Geneva, Switzerland 2nd Molluscan Genomics Workshop 30 August - 3 September | Frankfurt, Germany Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Conference 2026 21-25 September | Oslo, Norway / Hybrid BioHackathon 2026 9-13 November | Barcelona, Spain Featured conferences with sessions organized by ERGA members: Are you attending events or organizing sessions/workshops not listed here? Let us know here, we can help you reach more attendees from the biodiversity genomics community! From the #ERGABlog: watch and explore 🦈 How can genomics help us understand the unique evolution of sharks, rays, and chimaeras? Watch Shigehiro Kuraku introduce Squalomix, a consortium studying cartilaginous fishes through genome sequencing, cytology, and experimental biology. The talk explores how this work is revealing distinctive features of their biology, from genome size variation and ancient vertebrate sex chromosomes to adaptations such as deep-sea vision in whale sharks. 🧬 How can we detect local adaptation when population structure shapes genomic variation? Watch Jérôme Goudet and Isabela do O discuss how demographic history, relatedness, and population structure can complicate the search for adaptive divergence. The seminar explores the classical QST–FST framework, its limits under complex population structure, and how approaches such as LogAV can help identify more robust signals of selection. Useful links HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE? Click and Submit to ERGANews! Click here to become an ERGA Member Public EVENTS calendar here - add this to your Calendar or iCalendar! 💬 Follow us on social media! BlueSky LinkedIn YouTube

ERGA has been awarded a new COST Action focused on making biodiversity genomics easier to use, compare, and apply across Europe. Genomic data can provide detailed insight into genetic diversity, harmful variation, and introgression, but these data remain difficult to translate into shared practice. Here, the focus is not on reference genome production itself, but on the downstream use of genome-wide data, including WGS-based analyses, metadata, interpretation, reporting, and communication. Studies often differ in how samples are collected, how data are processed, how metadata are recorded, and how results are reported. This makes it harder for researchers, conservation practitioners, and policymakers to compare evidence across species, regions, and time. The new Action will address this gap through a pan-European network built around shared standards and practical exchange. Its working groups will focus on experimental design and genome-wide analysis, metadata, conservation applications, training, and communication. The aim is not to prescribe one rigid route for every project. It is to create a common language and a set of usable practices that can help different communities work together with greater clarity. This includes people already working in biodiversity genomics, as well as groups that need genomic evidence but may not yet have the same access to training, infrastructure, or specialist support. For ERGA, the COST Action is a natural extension of the community’s work on reference genomes. It moves from producing high-quality genomic resources towards helping those resources support biodiversity assessment, conservation planning, and policy-facing work. The Action will create opportunities for training, knowledge exchange, stakeholder engagement, and participation from countries and groups that have had fewer opportunities to contribute to this field. In this sense, it is both a scientific and a community effort: a way to make biodiversity genomics more consistent, more accessible, and more useful for the people who need to interpret and apply it. Stay tuned!!!!

BGE+ (Biodiversity Genomics Europe plus) is the next phase of the Biodiversity Genomics Europe initiative. It builds on previous community work to strengthen how genomic evidence is produced, shared, and applied across Europe. The project brings together iBOL Europe, ERGA, and CETAF, connecting communities working on DNA barcoding, reference genomes, taxonomy, natural history collections, informatics, training, and biodiversity policy. Its aim is to help make biodiversity genomics more coordinated, more interoperable, and more useful for research, monitoring, conservation, and policy. For ERGA, BGE+ provides dedicated support for the European reference genome community through a work package focused on network development, member engagement, BioGenome Hubs, training, and community-led activities. This work recognises the expertise already present across ERGA and aims to make it easier for members to share knowledge, develop projects, access guidance, and contribute to high-quality genome resources. It also creates space to support new groups, strengthen links between countries and institutions, and help reference genome work grow in a coordinated but distributed way. BGE+ will also support community projects through cascade grants and will contribute to broader efforts around standards, data reuse, and capacity building. For ERGA members, this offers both a practical opportunity and a longer-term one: support for genome-related activities now, and a chance to help shape how biodiversity genomics develops in Europe. Stay tuned!!!

Introduction Welcome to the Biodiversity Genomics Alphabet! This outreach series introduces one concept each month, using plain language and a short local story to help connect genomics to everyday observations of nature and to biodiversity questions that matter for conservation, management, and education. Each entry includes an audio version to support accessibility and translations into several European languages to help everyone reuse the material across contexts. RNA DNA is the long instruction manual that determines what organisms are. RNA is what cells use when they need to get something done right away. In plants and animals, DNA is kept safely protected inside the cell, but when a cell needs to do a task, such as helping a plant flower or helping a tadpole grow legs, it makes an RNA copy from a small part of the DNA sequence. RNA is another molecule written with four letters, almost like DNA, but with one small difference: RNA uses U, for uracil, where DNA uses T, for thymine. Some RNA copies act like messengers, carrying messages to the places in the cell where work happens. Some RNA copies help the cell build proteins, while others act like timekeepers, helping decide when a specific part of the DNA should be copied into RNA and when it should stay quiet. These RNA messages help the cell build, fix, protect, and adjust as conditions change. Studying RNA is like stepping into a busy workshop and seeing which messages are being passed around, revealing what the cell is working on at that very moment. RNA, a local story On a sunny balcony, a teenager is growing two tomato plants in pots. One plant gets watered regularly, but the other is forgotten for a couple of hot days while the family is busy. By the afternoon, the thirsty plant looks droopy, and its leaves hang down. After watering, it slowly perks up again. Later, a neighbour who loves gardening explains a simple idea: inside the plant, cells copy parts of their DNA into RNA depending on what the plant needs that day. When water is scarce, the plant sends different messages than it does when conditions are comfortable, helping it focus on coping rather than growing fast. After a few weeks, the two plants look different, and the teenager realises that these invisible messages helped guide how each plant responded. And you, have you noticed how plants around your home or street change during hot or dry days? RNA in action Farmers and researchers can study RNA in crops during a heatwave or a dry period to see which messages plants are using to respond. This can help identify which plant varieties switch on helpful responses more strongly or more quickly, supporting breeding and farming choices that make agriculture more resilient as conditions change. The quick glossary RNA: a molecule made by copying small part of the DNA, used by cells to carry out tasks. RNA copy: an RNA “note” that carries information copied from DNA. Nucleus: the compartment in plant and animal cells where DNA is stored. Other languages Italiano 🇮🇹 (Traduzione di Flavia Leotta) RNA Il DNA è il lungo manuale d’istruzioni che determina cosa sono gli organismi. L’RNA è ciò che le cellule usano quando hanno bisogno di fare qualcosa sul momento. Nelle piante e negli animali, il DNA viene conservato al sicuro all’interno della cellula, ma quando una cellula deve svolgere una certa attività, come aiutare una pianta a fiorire o far crescere delle gambe a un girino, crea una copia di RNA a partire da una piccola parte della sequenza di DNA. L’RNA è un’altra molecola scritta utilizzando quattro lettere, quasi come il DNA, ma con una piccola differenza: l’RNA usa la U, che sta per uracile, mentre il DNA usa la T, che sta per timina. Alcune copie di RNA si comportano da messaggeri, trasportando messaggi verso quei luoghi della cellula dove si svolgerà il lavoro. Alcune copie di RNA aiutano le cellule a costruire le proteine, mentre altre si comportano da cronometriste, aiutando a decidere se una specifica parte del DNA vada copiata in RNA e quando invece debba rimanere in silenzio. Questi messaggi a RNA aiutano le cellule a costruire, aggiustare, proteggere e ad adattarsi quando le condizioni cambiano. Studiare l’RNA è come entrare in un laboratorio indaffarato e vedere quali messaggi vengono fatti circolare, rivelando ciò di cui la cellula si sta occupando in quel preciso momento. Un racconto sull’RNA Su un balcone soleggiato, un adolescente sta coltivando due piante di pomodoro in vaso. Una pianta viene annaffiata regolarmente, ma l’altra viene dimenticata per un paio di giorni afosi mentre la famiglia è occupata. Al pomeriggio, la pianta assetata appare moscia, e le sue foglie pendono verso il basso. Dopo essere stata innaffiata, si ravviva piano piano. Più tardi, un vicino che ama il giardinaggio, spiega un semplice concetto: dentro la pianta, le cellule copiano parte del loro DNA in RNA, in base a ciò di cui la pianta ha bisogno quel giorno. Quando l’acqua scarseggia, la pianta manda differenti messaggi rispetto a quando le condizioni sono favorevoli, aiutandola a concentrarsi sulla sopravvivenza piuttosto che sulla crescita rapida. Dopo un paio di settimane, le due piante appaiono differenti, e il ragazzo realizza che questi messaggi invisibili hanno guidato la risposta delle due piante. E tu, hai notato come le piante attorno a casa tua o in strada cambiano durante i giorni caldi o asciutti? L’RNA in azione I contadini e i ricercatori possono studiare l’RNA nelle piante da coltura durante un’ondata di caldo o un periodo di siccità per vedere quali messaggi le piante usano per reagire. Questo può aiutare a identificare quali varietà di piante attivano risposte utili più intensamente o più velocemente, supportando le scelte di selezione e coltivazione che rendano le colture più resilienti al variare delle condizioni. Mini glossario RNA: una molecola creata copiando una piccola parte del DNA, usata dalle cellule per portare a termine dei compiti. Copia di RNA: un “messaggio” di RNA che porta con sé informazioni copiate dal DNA. Nucleo: il compartimento nelle cellule animali e vegetali dove viene conservato il DNA. Français 🇫🇷 (Traduction par Christian de Guttry) ARN L’ADN est le long manuel d’instructions qui détermine ce que sont les organismes. L’ARN est ce que les cellules utilisent lorsqu’elles doivent faire quelque chose immédiatement. Chez les plantes et les animaux, l’ADN est conservé en sécurité à l’intérieur de la cellule, mais lorsqu’une cellule doit accomplir une tâche, par exemple aider une plante à fleurir ou un têtard à faire pousser des pattes, elle fabrique une copie d’ARN à partir d’une petite partie de la séquence d’ADN. L’ARN est une autre molécule écrite avec quatre lettres, presque comme l’ADN, mais avec une petite différence : l’ARN utilise U, pour uracile, là où l’ADN utilise T, pour thymine. Certaines copies d’ARN agissent comme des messagers, en transportant des informations vers les endroits de la cellule où le travail se fait. Certaines copies d’ARN aident la cellule à fabriquer des protéines, tandis que d’autres agissent comme des garde-temps, en aidant à décider quand une partie précise de l’ADN doit être copiée en ARN, et quand elle doit rester silencieuse. Ces messages d’ARN aident la cellule à construire, réparer, protéger et s’adapter lorsque les conditions changent. Étudier l’ARN, c’est comme entrer dans un atelier très actif et voir quels messages circulent, révélant ainsi ce sur quoi la cellule travaille à ce moment précis. Une histoire sur l’ARN Sur un balcon ensoleillé, un adolescent fait pousser deux plants de tomate en pot. L’un est arrosé régulièrement, mais l’autre est oublié pendant quelques jours de chaleur alors que la famille est occupée. Dans l’après-midi, la plante assoiffée a l’air toute molle, et ses feuilles retombent. Après avoir été arrosée, elle se redresse peu à peu. Plus tard, un voisin passionné de jardinage lui explique une idée simple : à l’intérieur de la plante, les cellules copient des parties de leur ADN en ARN selon ce dont la plante a besoin ce jour-là. Quand l’eau manque, la plante envoie des messages différents de ceux qu’elle produit lorsque les conditions sont confortables, ce qui l’aide à faire face à la situation plutôt qu’à grandir rapidement. Après quelques semaines, les deux plants ont un aspect différent, et l’adolescent comprend que ces messages invisibles ont aidé à guider la réponse de chaque plante. Et vous, avez-vous remarqué comment les plantes autour de chez vous ou dans votre rue changent pendant les journées chaudes ou sèches ? L'ARN en action Les agriculteurs et les chercheurs peuvent étudier l’ARN des cultures pendant une vague de chaleur ou une période sèche pour voir quels messages les plantes utilisent pour réagir. Cela peut aider à repérer quelles variétés végétales activent des réponses utiles plus fortement ou plus rapidement, et ainsi soutenir des choix de sélection et de culture qui rendent l’agriculture plus résistante face à l’évolution des conditions. Petit glossaire ARN : une molécule fabriquée à partir d’une petite partie de l’ADN, utilisée par les cellules pour accomplir des tâches. Copie d’ARN : un « message » d’ARN qui transporte une information copiée à partir de l’ADN. Noyau : le compartiment des cellules végétales et animales où l’ADN est stocké. Bosanski 🇧🇦 (Prevela Lada Lukic Bilela) RNK DNK je dugi priručnik s uputama koji određuje šta su organizmi. RNK je ono čime se ćelije koriste kada nešto trebaju uraditi odmah. Kod biljaka i životinja DNK je sigurno zaštićena unutar ćelije. Ali kada ćelija treba izvršiti neki zadatak, naprimjer pomoći biljci da procvjeta ili punoglavcu da razvije noge, ona napravi RNK kopiju malog dijela DNK sekvence. RNK je još jedna molekula zapisana pomoću četiri slova, vrlo slična DNK, ali s jednom važnom razlikom: RNK koristi U, uracil, tamo gdje DNK koristi T, timin. Neke RNK molekule imaju ulogu glasnika, prenoseći upute do dijelova ćelije gdje se obavlja zadatak. Druge pomažu ćeliji u izgradnji proteina, dok neke djeluju kao vremenski regulatori, određujući kada se pojedini dio DNK treba prepisati u RNK, a kada treba da ostane neaktivan. Ove RNK poruke pomažu ćeliji da gradi, popravlja, štiti se i prilagođava promjenama uslova. Proučavanje RNK je kao ulazak u užurbanu radionicu i posmatranje kakve se poruke razmjenjuju, otkrivajući na čemu ćelija radi upravo u tom trenutku. RNK – jedna lokalna priča Na sunčanom balkonu, tinejdžer u saksijama uzgaja dvije biljke paradajza. Jednu biljku redovno zalijeva, a drugu zaboravi da zalije nekoliko vrelih dana, zbog porodičnih obaveza. Do poslijepodne, žedna biljka izgleda klonulo sa obješenim listovima. Nakon zalijevanja, polako se ponovo oporavlja. Kasnije, komšija koji voli vrtlarstvo objašnjava jednostavnu ideju: unutar biljke, ćelije prepisuju dijelove svoje DNK u RNK, zavisno od toga šta je biljci tog dana potrebno. Kada nema dovoljno vode, biljka šalje drugačije poruke nego kada su uslovi povoljni, što joj pomaže da se usmjeri na preživljavanje umjesto na brz rast. Nakon nekoliko sedmica ove dvije biljke izgledaju sasvim drugačije, a tinejdžer shvata da su te nevidljive poruke pomogle svakoj biljci da se prilagodi uslovima u kojima je rasla. A vi, jeste li primijetili kako se biljke oko vaše kuće ili ulice mijenjaju u vrelim ili sušnim danima? RNK u praksi Farmeri i istraživači mogu proučavati biljne RNK u usjevima u vrijeme toplinskog vala ili sušnog razdoblja kako bi vidjeli koje poruke biljke koriste za odgovor na stres. To može pomoći u prepoznavanju biljnih sorti koje snažnije ili brže aktiviraju korisne odgovore, podržavajući oplemenjivanje biljaka i one prakse koje čine poljoprivredne kulture otpornijima na promjenjive uslove. Kratki rječnik RNK: molekula nastala prepisivanjem malog dijela DNK, koju ćelije koriste za izvršavanje zadataka. RNK kopija: RNK “bilješka” koja prenosi informacije prepisane sa DNK molekule. Jedro: dio biljne ili životinjske ćelije u kojem je smještena DNK. Hrvatski 🇭🇷 (Prevela Lada Lukic Bilela) RNA DNA je dugi priručnik s uputama koji određuje što organizmi jesu. RNA je ono što stanice koriste kada nešto trebaju odmah učiniti. Kod biljaka i životinja DNA je sigurno zaštićena unutar stanice. No kada je potrebno obaviti neki zadatak, primjerice pomoći biljci procvjetati ili punoglavcu razviti noge, stanica napravi prijepis jednog malog dijela DNA slijeda u RNA. RNA je još jedna molekula zapisana s pomoću četiri slova, vrlo slična DNA, no s jednom važnom razlikom: RNA koristi U, uracil, na mjestima gdje DNA koristi T, timin. Neke RNA molekule imaju ulogu glasnika, prenoseći upute do dijelova stanice gdje se obavlja zadatak. Druge pomažu stanici u izgradnji proteina, dok neke djeluju poput vremenskih regulatora, pomažući u usmjeravanju kada je određeni dio DNA potrebno prepisati u RNA, a kada treba ostati neaktivan. Ove RNA poruke pomažu stanici da gradi, popravlja, štiti se i prilagođava promjenama uvjeta. Proučavanje RNA nalikuje ulasku u užurbanu radionicu i promatranju koje se poruke razmjenjuju, otkrivajući što se događa i kakve zadatke stanica upravo obavlja u tom trenutku. RNA, jedna lokalna priča Na sunčanom balkonu, tinejdžer u teglama uzgaja dvije biljke rajčice. Jednu biljku redovito zalijeva, a drugu nekoliko vrućih dana zaboravi zaliti zbog obiteljskih obveza. Do poslijepodneva, žedna biljka izgleda klonulo, spuštenih listova. Nakon zalijevanja, polako se počinje oporavljati. Kasnije susjed koji voli vrtlarstvo objašnjava jednostavnu ideju: unutar biljke, stanice prepisuju dijelove svoje DNA u RNA, ovisno o tomu što je biljci tog dana potrebno. U nestašici vode, biljka šalje drugačije poruke nego kada su uvjeti povoljni, što joj pomaže da se usmjeri na preživljavanje umjesto na brz rast. Nakon nekoliko tjedana ove dvije biljke izgledaju posve različlto, a tinejdžer shvaća da su te nevidljive poruke pomogle svakoj biljci da se prilagodi uvjetima u kojima je rasla. A vi, jeste li primijetili kako se biljke oko vašeg doma ili ulice mijenjaju tijekom vrućih ili sušnih dana? RNA u praksi Poljoprivrednici i znanstvenici mogu izučavati molekule RNA biljaka u usjevima tijekom toplinskog vala ili sušnog razdoblja u potrazi za porukama koje biljke koriste kao odgovor na stres. To uvelike pomaže u prepoznavanju onih biljnih sorti koje snažnije ili brže aktiviraju korisne odgovore, podržavajući oplemenjivanje biljaka i dobre prakse koje poljoprivredne kulture čine otpornijima na promjenjive uvjete. Mali pojmovnik RNA: molekula nastala prepisivanjem malog dijela DNA, koju stanice koriste za obavljanje svojih zadataka. RNA prijepis (kopija): RNA “bilješka” koja prenosi informacije prepisane s molekule DNA. Jezgra: dio biljne ili životinjske stanice u kojem je pohranjena molekula DNA. Contributors Isabel R. Amorim, Chiara Bortoluzzi, Elena Buzan, Christian de Guttry, Maris Hindrikson, Stefaniya Kamenova, Emre Keskin, Alice Laigle, Lada Lukić Bilela, Luisa Marins, Filippo Nicolini, Svein-Ole Mikalsen, Dragan Gačić, Elena Buzan.