The <em>Daphnia</em> Genomics Consortium (DGC) is an international <a href="/people/?page=network"><font color="#0066cc">network</font></a> of investigators committed to mounting the freshwater crustacean <em>Daphnia</em> as a <a href="/people/modelsystem/"><font color="#0066cc">model system for ecology, evolution and the environmental sciences</font></a>. At our first consortium meeting in 2002, a decision was made to initially focus most of the global efforts on the <em>D. pulex<br /em> complex, based on the broad set of genomic tools that have already been developed, but to also bring the distantly related congener <em>D. magna</em> on board as soon as possible. Five years later, we are in the process of analyzing the draft genome sequence assembly of the <em>D. pulex</em> genome and we are beginning the <em>D. magna</em> genome sequencing project.<p><br />Along with research activities, the DGC is: (1) coordinating efforts towards developing the <a target="_blank" href="https://dgc.cgb.indiana.edu/display/daphnia/The+utility+box+for+genomics"><font color="#0066cc"><em>Daphnia</em> genomic toolbox</font></a>, which will then be available for use by the general community; (2) facilitating collaborative cross-disciplinary investigations; (3) developing bioinformatic strategies for organizing the rapidly growing genome database; and (4) exploring emerging technologies to improve high throughput analyses of molecular and ecological samples. If we are to succeed in creating a new model system for modern life-sciences research, it will need to be a <a href="/people/network/"><font color="#0066cc">community-wide effort</font></a>. We hope that you will participate at some level. Membership is open to the research community - contact <a href="/people/contacts/6"><font color="#0066cc">John Colbourne</font></a>.<br />