Progress in insect phylogenetics from the 1KITE initiative

Unraveling the evolution of insects is essential for understanding how life in terrestrial and limnic environments evolved. The 1KITE (1K Insect Transcriptome Evolution) project aims to study the transcriptomes (that is the entirety of expressed genes) of 1,000 insect species encompassing all recognized insect orders. For each species, so-called ESTs (Expressed Sequence Tags) have been produced using next generation sequencing techniques (NGS). Sequencing has been completed. The data reveal a robust phylogenetic backbone tree of insects. Furthermore, the project includes the development of new software for data quality assessment and analysis.  1KITE has brought together internationally recognized experts in molecular biology, morphology, paleontology, embryology, bioinformatics, and scientific computing in a yet unparalleled way. Overall, scientists from eight nations (Australia, Austria, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and the US) are tightly collaborating in the 1KITE project.  Our first results from approximately 130 species from throughout Insects are presented here.