Biodiversity—our planet’s complex web of interdependent species and ecosystems—is critical to our survival and includes the water we drink, the air we breathe, the food we eat, the medicines that heal, and the soils that nurture.

But our biodiversity faces serious challenges.

Smithsonian Biodiversity Genomics is a united effort of existing Smithsonian research entities that help scientists address these challenges. By using the latest genome research and technologies, we will gain greater understanding of how life on Earth evolved, how species interact, how ecosystems function, and how to sustain the diversity of life that allows us to adapt and thrive in our changing world.