Ensembl 2026

The Ensembl project (https://www.ensembl.org) is a public and open resource providing access to genomes, annotations, high-quality tools, and methods applicable to species from across the tree of life. This year has witnessed nearly a doubling in our rate of annotation and genome release, with 1927 new genomes released, with the total number of genomes now standing at 37 546. This includes expanded support for the human and barley pangenomes. We also present two new interfaces providing improved mechanisms to explore and interrogate genome regulation annotations. As our focus remains on sustainable scaling, we have archived Ensembl Rapid Release and accelerated the move to the new Ensembl platform. Ensembl release 116 (Q1-2026) will be the last release on the current platform.