We are pleased to announce that Ensembl Rapid Release 40 with 94 new genomes is now live! With Rapid Release 40, we also introduce the first of many invertebrate-themed Ensembl Rapid Releases. The inaugural theme has an emphasis on scientific advancements in global food security. We have added 21 agriculturally significant insect species, which include organisms viewed as priorities in the pursuit of boosting fundamental biological understanding and insights into biological control mechanisms, both indispensable to increase global food production and availability.

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Today’s blog focuses on this year’s Google Summer of Code (GSoC). GSoC is an international program founded by Google in 2005 with the purpose of bringing together open-source organisations, and developers interested in contributing to open-source software and getting an “exposure to real-world software development techniques”. Host organisations list project ideas, and applicants discuss these ideas directly with mentors from the organisations and devise a project proposal to Google, who issue a small stipend to successful applicants.

EMBL-EBI’s Genome Assembly and Annotation (GAA) section, which includes Ensembl, has been a GSoC mentor since 2016. The GAA is one of 198 open-source organisations who have undergone rigorous application and selection processes to ensure GSoC applicants, also referred to as contributors, are receiving the best possible mentorship for their projects. We are grateful that we have once again had the opportunity to work with Google and help contributors realise their projects. Every year we receive applications from candidates who want to learn more about writing open-source software. And as of 2022, Google has also welcomed applications not just from students, but anyone over the age of 18 with an interest in open-source software development. 

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We are pleased to announce the release of Ensembl 108, and the corresponding release of Ensembl Genomes 55 featuring changes in the human default tracks, new genomes in Ensembl Plants and Ensembl Metazoa, and the addition of mitochondrial annotation for Tasmanian devil.

Genome assemblies and annotation for many new species are also being continuously added to the Ensembl Rapid Release genome browser.

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