With ongoing advances in sequencing and bioinformatics, the availability of reference genomes is spreading rapidly across the tree of life. Through genomics-enabled research, we are increasingly able to study the biology that we are interested in for the species that we care about. This expands the scope of our field. While research in traditional model organisms will continue to enable cumulative knowledge and breakthroughs in human biology and agriculture, genetic and genomic insights from a broader diversity of species can unlock useful and unique information on how organisms can deal with specific ecological and environmental challenges.