Mark Blaxter

Professor Mark Blaxter serves as Programme Lead for the Tree of Life Programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Professor of Evolutionary Genomics at the University of Edinburgh. He heads the Blaxter Group, which focuses on evolutionary genomics with an emphasis on biodiversity conservation through high-quality genome sequencing. As a key figure in the Darwin Tree of Life Project, he leads efforts to sequence all 60,000 named eukaryotic species in the British Isles over the next decade, working within the global framework of the Earth BioGenome Project.

Blaxter completed his BSc (Honours Zoology) at the University of Edinburgh followed by a PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. His academic career progressed from Lecturer to Reader to Professor at Edinburgh, with previous research fellowships at Imperial College London supported by the Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council.

Professor Blaxter's research spans evolutionary genomics, biodiversity science, and conservation. His work focuses on using high-quality genome sequences to explore evolutionary relationships, build the tree of life, and provide resources for conservation and biotechnology. He has pioneered approaches to generate reference-quality genomes for thousands of species beyond traditional model organisms. His research investigates genome evolution through time, cryptic species diversity, symbiosis (particularly parasitism), and chromosomal structure evolution. With over 30% of all eukaryotes classified as parasites, understanding these relationships is central to his work on genomic diversity and biodiversity conservation.

Analysis of Blaxter's recent publications reveals a strong focus on biodiversity genomics, with particular emphasis on creating reference genomes for diverse species across the tree of life. His work spans nematodes, insects, marine organisms, and other eukaryotes, contributing to large-scale initiatives like the Earth BioGenome Project. The research demonstrates increasing sophistication in genomic technologies, moving from single-species studies to large-scale comparative analyses that address fundamental evolutionary questions while providing practical conservation tools.

Throughout his career, Professor Blaxter has championed open access to genomic data, releasing datasets well in advance of publication to encourage reuse. His group develops essential tools for genome analysis including BlobToolKit for quality assessment, KinFin for taxon-aware protein analysis, and MitoHiFi for mitochondrial genome assembly. The Blaxter Group collaborates extensively with institutions across the British Isles including the Natural History Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Marine Biological Association, and universities including Oxford and Cambridge.

Blaxter leads the Tree of Life Programme at the Sanger Institute, a major initiative generating high-quality genome sequences to explore evolutionary relationships across the tree of life. The program works closely with the Darwin Tree of Life Project and other international genome sequencing efforts to create a comprehensive genomic resource for biological science. His laboratory combines wet-lab genomic approaches with advanced bioinformatics to tackle questions at the intersection of evolution, biodiversity, and conservation, addressing the critical challenge of the sixth great extinction through genomic insights.