Scientists are unlocking the genetic secrets of some of Scotland’s favourite plant species – a breakthrough that will bring a greater understanding of biodiversity across Britain and Ireland – thanks to experts at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and partners in the Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) project. The groundbreaking initiative aims to sequence the genomes of all 72,000 plants, animals, fungi and other living organisms across the UK and Ireland.

The team in Edinburgh is tasked with identifying and collecting material from native species including Scottish beardmoss, rowan and wych elm, the specimens are then coded by colleagues in the project led by the Wellcome Sanger Institute. The complex process is now gathering pace, with data being made freely available to other researchers.

Earlier this year, scientists at the Scottish research institute collected samples for sequencing from an apparently disease resilient elm in the Borders that had survived the devastating impact of Dutch elm disease. Known informally as the Jedburgh Giant, geneticists at RBGE are currently propagating the tree with other mature elms with the hope that they can rear ‘super survivors.’

The Jedburgh Giant is just one plant with a colourful tale to tell whose genetic history the team at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh have been helping to unravel.

The Scottish beardmoss (Bryoeythrophyllum caledonicum) was unknown to science until as recently as 1982, when the organisation’s Dr David Long named it caledonicum in homage to the nation. Native only to Scotland, it is found largely in the highlands and islands.

A lonely rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) in the Scottish Borders survived predation by sheep and became known as The Survivor Tree of Carrifran. Awarded Scotland’s Tree of the Year 2020, and a finalist for Europe’s Tree of the Year 2021, it is now surrounded by its progeny and by thousands of other native trees, thanks to the Borders Forest Trust.

David Bell, sample coordinator for the Darwin Tree of Life at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh said:

“Compared to humans, many plants have surprisingly large amounts of DNA, making their sequencing extremely complex. At a time when so many species are under threat from climate change, pests and diseases, the DToL programme has never been more important.

“As an open resource for the whole scientific community, the knowledge we are gaining of how plants adapt in the face of environmental change will have practical applications right across society – including how we manage threats to our agricultural and commercial crops.”

Professor Mark Blaxter, Programme Lead, the Darwin Tree of Life at the Wellcome Sanger institute commented:

“It is great to see high-quality genome sequences released for these plant species. The beardmoss is an iconic Scottish endemic, and the elm and the rowan we sequenced are famous individual trees with a rich history and public following. The Darwin project has allowed us to shine a light on these species, and provide data which will be important for conservation and ecology. The British and Irish flora is rapidly becoming the best studied in the world in terms of genome data.”