Worldwide, the numbers of many endearing species are rapidly declining. According to a deep estimate, 40% of the world’s species could become extinct by 2050. Worryingly, many of these numbers are declining due to reasons for which few solutions are available.
Worldwide, the number of many endearing species is rapidly declining. According to a deep estimate, 40% of the world’s species could become extinct by 2050. Worryingly, many of these numbers are declining due to reasons for which few solutions are available. Many species now depend on conservation breeding programs for their survival. But these programs are generally not effective for species to adapt and survive in the wild along with intractable threats such as climate change and disease. This means that some species can no longer survive in the wild, which adversely affects the ecosystem. For example, consider how a coral reef would have to struggle for its existence without corals.
what if there was some other way? My colleagues and I have developed a method that aims to give endangered species the genetic characteristics they need to survive in the wild. Putting theory into practice Over generations, natural selection enables species to adapt to threats. But today there are many examples in which the rapidly evolving threats are leaving behind a species’ ability to adapt. This problem is particularly evident in emerging infectious diseases in wildlife such as chytridiomycosis in amphibians, and in climate-affected species such as corals. The toolkit my colleagues and I developed is called “targeted genetic intervention,” or TGI. It works by increasing the occurrence or frequency of genetic characteristics that affect the fitness of an organism in the presence of danger.
The toolkit includes artificial selection and synthetic biology. These tools are well established in agriculture and medicine but are relatively unused as a conservation tool. We explain them in more detail below. In recent decades many of the tools in our TGI toolkit in conservation have been discussed in principle. But rapid developments in genome sequencing and synthetic biology mean that something is now possible in practice. Evolution has made it easier to understand the genetic basis of the characteristics that enable a species to adapt and manipulate them.
What is artificial selection?
Humans have long used artificial (or phenotypic) selection to promote desirable characteristics in animals and plants designed for companionship or food. This genetic variation has led to the development of some new species, such as the domestic dog and maize, that differ dramatically from their wild ancestors. Conventional artificial selection can yield results, such as high inbreeding rates, that affect the health and resilience of the organism and are undesirable for conservation. If you have ever had a purebred breed of dog, you may be aware of some of these genetic disorders.
