Project Psyche

Close-up of a blue-lit moth trap at night, with numerous moths of different sizes and shapes resting on the mesh surface and roof of the trap. The insects are attracted to the ultraviolet light, illustrating nighttime Lepidoptera sampling in the field. Photo credit: Alena Suchackova.

(2/2) During this workshop, participants will take part in:
🦋 Lepidoptera collecting (Psyche & LepEU)
🧪 Hands-on training in genomic sample processing
🏔️ Fieldwork in the Pirin Mountains
Interested in taxonomy, genomics, or cross-disciplinary collab?
✅ Apply here:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

A group of researchers and participants gather at night in a mountain landscape around a glowing blue light trap used for collecting moths. The scene is illuminated by the bright light, with trees and dark mountain silhouettes in the background. The group is examining specimens and taking notes during fieldwork. Photo credit: Alena Suchackova.

(1/2) Applications are open for the second field workshop of WG 2: Specimen collection for genomic work
📍 Vlahi, Pirin Mountains (Bulgaria)
📅 15–19 June 2026
We’re bringing together Lepidoptera taxonomists, enthusiasts, bioinformaticians, and students for real hands-on learning and exchange.
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Participants of the workshop during Charlotte's presentation. Many screens show Hi-C maps being curated in real time.

(1/3) The 2nd Genome Curation Workshop continues!

Today, participants explored Merian elements and chromosome evolution in #Lepidoptera in a fantastic talk by @charlottewright.bsky.social

More info below 👇🦋

Participants attending a talk on day one of the 2nd Genome Curation Workshop (Cambridge, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Feb 16-17). The screen shows an image of Phalera bucephala alongside information about its genome.

Mark Blaxter giving a talk during day one of the 2nd Genome Curation Workshop (Feb 16-27, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge).

📢 Today marks the start of the 2nd Genome Curation Workshop, organised by #10kLepGenomes and @projectpsyche.bsky.social

From Feb 16–27, seventeen participants will learn how to interpret and edit Hi-C maps alongside senior curators at the @sangerinstitute.bsky.social

Stay tuned for updates! 🦋🧬

Take a look at this 👀!
⬇️⬇️⬇️

Thank you @ebpgenome.bsky.social for highlighting @projectpsyche.bsky.social
If you want to learn more about the large-scale genomics project on Lepidoptera in Europe, we introduce the project in our paper in Trends in Ecology & Evolution: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

There we go 😎🧬🦋!

🌍 Thanks to our whole EBP community for making this milestone possible. 🧬✨
@bat1kgenomes.bsky.social
@kurakulabmsm.bsky.social
@atlasea.bsky.social
@biogeneurope.bsky.social
@ergabiodiv.bsky.social
@vertebrategenomes.bsky.social
@invertebrates.bsky.social
@projectpsyche.bsky.social

Project Psyche: reference genomes for all Lepidoptera in Europe Project Psyche is a transnational initiative to generate and study chromosome-level reference genomes of all ~11 000 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) found in Europe. Here, we describe…

#ERGAReads | We start the year by highlighting our partner Project Psyche: reference genomes for all Lepidoptera in Europe! 🦋 🌍 🧬 @projectpsyche.bsky.social

🔗 www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

#butterflies #moths #genomes

Merry Christmas to all insect and moth lovers 🎄 @projectpsyche.bsky.social @10klepgenomes.bsky.social

Se me está quedando pequeña la pared 😱

Meet one of our wonderful coordinators, @charlottewright.bsky.social, and discover why generating reference genomes for moths and butterflies is so important!

L’equip d’investigació de l’IBE i col·laboradors recol·lectant papallones per al Projecte Psyche. Crèdit a Gerard Talavera.

El projecte Psyche situa les papallones a l’avantguarda de la genòmica de la biodiversitat 🦋

📕L’ #IBE_Barcelona participa en el projecte Psyche, la primera iniciativa transnacional destinada a generar i estudiar genomes de referència d’un ordre animal complet.🧵

👉https://shorturl.at/9ofIE

The study was launched by University of Florence and it is supported by @projectpsyche.bsky.social and @10klepgenomes.bsky.social as their common goal is to sequence genomes of all butterflies and moths, regardless of their presumed beauty!

Some butterflies may seem more beautiful than others. And believe it or not, this is influencing their conservation and researchers' interest! - Take this 10-min test to contribute to a research into our perception of butterfly beauty:
www.unveiling.eu/en_US/introd...

1,000 butterfly and moth genomes to investigate evolution, climate change resilience, and tackle food security issues These freely available genomes can be used to answer evolutionary questions, inform conservation and improve food security around the world.

The DNA of butterflies & moths is supporting conservation, shedding light on evolution, and could find new ways to stop pests 🦋
1,000 genomes have been released, and @projectpsyche.bsky.social aims to continue until all 11,665 European species have been sequenced🧬

www.sanger.ac.uk/news_item/10...

Many thanks for your interest, Dave! We’ve reached out to the coordinators of both projects so they can share more information with you and get in touch directly🦋

The hand of a researcher holding one of the grids containing samples for barcoding. Photo credits: Alena Sucháčková.

View of the stunning landscape in Mals (Italy), where the first field campaign of CA 10kLepGenomes was conducted this summer. Photo credits: Alena Sucháčková.

Moths resting over one of the UV-light traps set during the samplings conducted in Mals for the first field campaign of CA 10kLepGenomes (July 2025). Photo credits: Alena Sucháčková.

🎉 #Barcoding results from specimens collected in the Mals field-workshop are in — thank you Marko Mutanen!
🧬We confirmed IDs of tricky specimens (mostly microleps), adding 43 new species to @projectpsyche.bsky.social and identifying 14 that need recollection.

Thanks to all who took part!

Huge congratulations to everyone who made this milestone possible! 🎉🦋 Field teams out exploring 🥾🌿 and lab teams powering the sequencing 🧬 — every single contribution mattered. 🙌✨

Minions GIF ALT: Minions GIF

(5/5) What’s next: sequencing all ~11,000 European species! This will transform research in evolution, conservation, and population genomics by empowering smarter monitoring, pest management, and biodiversity policy at local and global scales 🦋📊
#Conservation #Evolution #OpenScience

Map of the hubs and sub-hubs that participate in the Project Psyche. The hubs are marked with stars and the sub-hubs with points. The main Hub is marked with an orange star and is located in the Sanger Institute.

(4/5) In brief: a decentralized, pan-European network of collection and sequencing hubs is producing chromosome-level reference #genomes using shared protocols and open, collaborative data analysis. #Lepidoptera are now the eukaryotic order with the most reference genomes worldwide 🚀!!

Group photo of the attendees of the 10KLepGenomes community at the workshop held at the University of Lund, in February 2025.

10kLepGenomes logo in black and orange.

(3/5) This collaborative paper was kickstarted during a collaborative workshop at @biologylu.bsky.social , funded by the @10klepgenomes.bsky.social, highlighting the power of community-driven science. 🤝
#10kLepGenomes #CA2311

(2/5) Why this matters: #ProjectPsyche addresses urgent challenges in the context of global #insectDeclines, like population fragmentation and ecological resilience, by building a standardized genomic resource under the @ergabiodiv.bsky.social l umbrella 🌍!
www.earthbiogenome.org

Project Psyche: reference genomes for all Lepidoptera in Europe Project Psyche is a transnational initiative to generate and study chromosome-level reference genomes of all ~11 000 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) found in Europe. Here, we describe t...

(1/5)Thrilled to announce our paper on #ProjectPsyche is out! 🦋We describe how we’ve generated 1000+ high-quality genomes for European Lepidoptera, providing an unprecedented resource for biodiversity, conservation, and evolutionary research.
#Genomics #Biodiversity
www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

Revolutionizing biodiversity genomics by sequencing butterflies and moths  - Stockholm University Revolutionizing biodiversity genomics by sequencing butterflies and moths  The pan-European research project Psyche will sequence genomes of all 11,000 described species of butterflies and moths of Eu...

Pan-European @projectpsyche.bsky.social will sequence genomes of all 11,000 described species of butterflies and moths of Europe and revolutionize biodiversity genomics. 1,000 genomes are already completed. New article by @chriswheat.bsky.social @lepphylo.bsky.social et al
www.su.se/english/news...

Project Psyche: reference genomes for all Lepidoptera in Europe Project Psyche is a transnational initiative to generate and study chromosome-level reference genomes of all ~11 000 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) found in Europe. Here, we describe t...

I'm very excited that our paper on Project Psyche is now published! 🦋🧬

Over the last two years we've built an incredible community & already made huge progress. Read about this & how @projectpsyche.bsky.social will drive exciting and collaborative science here:

www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

Project Psyche: reference genomes for all Lepidoptera in Europe Project Psyche is a transnational initiative to generate and study chromosome-level reference genomes of all ~11 000 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) found in Europe. Here, we describe t...

🦋 🧬 Feature review @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social: "Project Psyche @projectpsyche.bsky.social : reference genomes for all Lepidoptera in Europe", with @erebiologa.bsky.social and @entomoprofessor.bsky.social from @universidadoviedo.bsky.social

www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

Project Psyche: reference genomes for all Lepidoptera in Europe Project Psyche is a transnational initiative to generate and study chromosome-level reference genomes of all ~11 000 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) found in Europe. Here, we describe t...

One of the most exciting projects I have ever been involved in: Project Psyche! Read all about our ambitions and aims. It's ground breaking stuff, just mind blowing and even surreal (27 years ago we did single genes for lep phylogenetics)! @projectpsyche.bsky.social
www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

EBP groups tracking down and sequencing insects include the @invertebrates.bsky.social, @ergabiodiv.bsky.social, @canadianbiogenome.bsky.social, @projectpsyche.bsky.social, @catbiogenoma.bsky.social, @wiseancestors.bsky.social, @10klepgenomes.bsky.social, @biogeneurope.bsky.social, and many more!

(1/4) 📣 Exciting news! 📣
The #10KLepGenomes COST Action has opened the second call for Short Term Scientific Missions #STSMs
Keep reading for all the details 👇