MetaPlantCode

Background & History

MetaPlantCode is a European research project that aims to standardize and improve plant biodiversity monitoring through DNA metabarcoding. By combining field research, lab work, bioinformatics, and data standardization, the project creates scalable tools and resources for use in science and environmental policy. Our objectives include: Testing pan-European case studies, optimizing workflows and pipelines, creating and improving plant reference databases, publishing FAIR+ data and best-practice guidelines, strengthening knowledge transfer and stakeholder engagement across sectors.

Vision & Mission

We aim to advance and standardize plant DNA metabarcoding across Europe by developing scalable methods, building high-quality reference data, and supporting biodiversity research and policy with accessible, FAIR+ tools.

We envision a future where plant metabarcoding becomes a routine, reliable, and widely accepted method for biodiversity monitoring, helping scientists, governments, and conservationists better understand and protect plant life on our planet.

The goal of MetaPlantCode is to develop methods that allow faster, more scalable, and standardized biodiversity assessments of plant environmental DNA. We investigate how plant metabarcoding can be effectively used for long-term biodiversity monitoring, identify which molecular and analytical techniques provide the most reliable results, and work on improving reference databases to enable precise species identification. Ultimately, we aim to ensure that our findings contribute to conservation efforts and inform policy decisions.

What do we research?

How do we work?

Our work combines advanced molecular and digital technologies using complex environmental DNA samples to test bioinformatic pipelines and standardize laboratory protocols. Our bioinformatics pipelines perform quality filtering and species detection integrating public databases such as GBIF. Additionally, we enrich floristic literature semantically and adhere to FAIR data principles throughout all stages of our research.

MetaPlantCode is committed to the FAIR data principles – making data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. These principles guide how we manage, publish, and share our research data across all work packages.

Findable: Data is assigned a unique identifier and described with rich metadata.
Accessible: Data is retrievable using standardized protocols with clear usage licenses.
Interoperable: Data uses shared vocabularies and formats to integrate with other data sources.
Reusable: Data is well-documented and published under clear usage terms.

Learn more about the FAIR Data Principles