Community-Driven Genomics

Every species has a story written in its genome

Most will never be read. We're changing that — bringing communities together through hands-on science education, open data, and real discovery. No background required. Everyone is welcome.

Explore
Our Mission
Academia and funding trends shouldn't decide which species matter

The species that get sequenced are the ones that attract grants, serve as model organisms, or hold commercial value. Meanwhile, thousands of ecologically vital species — the ones quietly holding ecosystems together — are left out. Not because they're unimportant, but because no institution prioritized them.

The Mosaic Science puts that choice in the hands of communities. We produce open-access reference genomes for understudied organisms, build free educational tools, and train anyone who wants to learn — through hands-on workshops, real data, and real discovery. No prerequisites. No gatekeepers.

The Problem

Most species on Earth have never had their genomes sequenced. Not because the technology doesn't exist, but because funding follows a narrow set of organisms — model species, commercial crops, charismatic megafauna. Thousands of ecologically vital species are simply left out of the genomic record.

What We Do About It

We let communities decide which species matter. Anyone can nominate an organism. The public votes. We sequence the genome, publish everything open access, and build free tools and workshops so anyone can participate in real science — regardless of background.

Our Commitment

Every genome we produce goes straight to GenBank. Every tool we build is open source. Every workshop is free. The data belongs to everyone, forever.

What We Do
Three programs, one mission
Genomics is where we started. It's not where we'll stop.
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Community Genomics

We sequence and openly publish reference genomes for species that are locally important, ecologically iconic, or simply overlooked. The community decides what gets sequenced next — anyone can nominate a species, and the public votes on which genome we tackle. Every dataset goes straight to GenBank, free forever.

Active
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Workshops & Training

Free, hands-on sessions where community members learn real bioinformatics — from DNA extraction to genome assembly. No prior experience needed. We teach everything from scratch.

Launching Summer 2026
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Science Games & Tools

Interactive games and educational tools that make biodiversity data tangible and fun. Genome explorers, species identification challenges, and ecology simulations — all open source.

In Development
Our Organisms
Each species is its own initiative
Every organism we adopt becomes an ongoing program — with its own genome work, field activities, and community updates. More species will follow as the community grows.
01
Craspedacusta sowerbii medusa
Freshwater Jellyfish

Craspedacusta sowerbii

A cryptic invasive spreading silently through Michigan's inland lakes. Population genomics could reveal how it colonizes new waterways and inform early detection strategies.

Population genomics Summer 2026 lake tracking Community sightings
Active
02
Freshwater mussel
Freshwater Mussels

Lampsilis & Epioblasma

Michigan hosts 45 species of freshwater mussels — among the most endangered animals in North America. Most lack reference genomes critical for conservation management.

Genome sequencing River survey partnerships
Planning
03
Pectinatella magnifica colony
Moss Animals — Magnificent Bryozoan

Pectinatella magnifica

Gelatinous, brain-like colonies that grow on submerged branches. People find them and have no idea what they're looking at. No nuclear genome exists — not even from its native range in North America.

Genome sequencing Community sightings iNaturalist integration
Planning
04
Eubranchipus bundyi
Fairy Shrimp

Eubranchipus bundyi

Ancient crustaceans that hatch in Michigan's vernal pools each spring and vanish weeks later. No genome exists for any of the 21 species in this genus.

Genome sequencing MNFI coordination
Paused

More organisms coming — nominate a species

Open Science
Data & Code
Everything we produce is open access. Genomes go to GenBank. Code goes to GitHub. The data belongs to everyone.
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GenBank Accessions

Reference genomes and barcode sequences deposited in NCBI GenBank. Freely downloadable by any researcher worldwide.

Coming 2026
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GitHub Repositories

Analysis pipelines, genome assembly scripts, visualization code, and workshop materials. All open source.

Public
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Species Distribution Datasets

Curated occurrence records for our focal organisms, compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, USGS, and literature. Darwin Core format.

In Progress
Learn
Workshops & Training
Real science, taught from scratch. All workshops are free and open access.

Upcoming Sessions

Summer 2026 — Date TBA

Introduction to DNA & Genome Sequencing

Extract DNA, run a nanopore sequencer, and see a genome take shape in real time. No biology background required. Ann Arbor area.

Fall 2026 — Date TBA

Bioinformatics from the Command Line

Learn to assemble genomes, align sequences, and explore biodiversity data using free, open-source tools on your own laptop.

Training Materials

What is a genome?Coming Soon
Introduction to nanopore sequencingComing Soon
Genome assembly with FlyeComing Soon
How to read a FASTA fileComing Soon
eDNA sampling field protocolComing Soon
Join
This science needs you
No prior experience in biology or coding required. We teach everything from scratch.

Attend a Workshop

Free, hands-on sessions where you learn to work with real genomic data. Upcoming workshops will be announced here and on our social media channels.

Fund a Genome

Our crowdfunding campaigns let you directly sponsor the sequencing of a species. Every dollar goes to reagents, flow cells, and open data. Tax-deductible donations coming soon.

Collaborate

We're actively seeking partners — university researchers, conservation organizations, teachers, and citizen scientists. If you have specimens, expertise, or enthusiasm, reach out.

Nominate a Species

Know an overlooked organism in your backyard that deserves a genome? Tell us about it. The community votes on what we sequence next.