To commemorate Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017 and to lay the foundation of research excellence for the next 150 years, CGEn and its partners embarked on the Canada 150 Sequencing Initiative (CanSeq150). The aim of CanSeq150 was to sequence new genomes to support future genomics-informed research in biodiversity and conservation, applications in breeding and biomedicine, as well as technology development, across Canada.

More than 100 species were selected for sequencing through the CanSeq150 program, providing a platform for biologists, ecologists, population geneticists and other scientists with in-depth knowledge and expertise in species of interest to work with genomic scientists. CanSeq150 has now joined the Canada BioGenome Project, which will identify 400 species important to Canadian wildlife conservation, recovery and monitoring.