Is It Time for Synthetic Biodiversity Conservation?

Piaggio, Antoinette J.; Segelbacher, Gernot; Seddon, Philip J.; Alphey, Luke; Bennett, Elizabeth L.; Carlson, Robert H.; Friedman, Robert M.; Kanavy, Dona M.; Phelan, Ryan M.; Redford, Kent H.; Rosales, M.; Slobodian, Lydia; Wheeler, Keith

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2016.10.016

Cited by 137 publications

(118 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Previous reviews have identified this as a major barrier to progress for application of synthetic biology to natural environmental settings (Piaggio et al. ). Respective research programs need to be designed to ensure that they converge on trajectories that will allow practical application of synthetic biology to environmental problems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harnessing synthetic biology for kelp forest conservation¹

Coleman

Goold

2019

Journal of Phycology

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Environmental and climatic change is outpacing the ability of organisms to adapt, at an unprecedented level, resulting in range contractions and global ecosystem shifts to novel states. At the same time, scientific advances continue to accelerate, providing never‐before imagined solutions to current and emerging environmental problems. Synthetic biology, the creation of novel and engineered genetic variation, is perhaps the fastest developing and transformative scientific field. Its application to solve extant and emerging environmental problems is vast, at times controversial, and technological advances have outpaced the social, ethical, and practical considerations of its use. Here, we discuss the potential direct and indirect applications of synthetic biology to kelp forest conservation. Rather than advocate or oppose its use, we identify where and when it may play a role in halting or reversing global kelp loss and discuss challenges and identify pathways of research needed to bridge the gap between technological advances and organismal biology and ecology. There is a pressing need for prompt collaboration and dialogue among synthetic biologists, ecologists, and conservationists to identify opportunities for use and ensure that extant research directions are set on trajectories to allow these currently disparate fields to converge toward practical environmental solutions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harnessing synthetic biology for kelp forest conservation¹

Coleman

Goold

2019

Journal of Phycology

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“…Climate change impact models predict that most reefs will be severely damaged or lost in this century unless immediate protection efforts are made (Hoegh-Guldberg et al, 2007; Pandolfi et al, 2011; Mora et al, 2016; Hughes et al, 2017) prompting calls for the development of novel mitigation and restoration approaches (Rinkevich, 2014; van Oppen et al, 2015, 2017; Piaggio et al, 2016). Exceptional genetic variability naturally exists within the genus Symbiodinium , suggesting that seeding vulnerable corals with more climate-change tolerant Symbiodinium variants could provide a means to reduce bleaching susceptibility of corals (van Oppen et al, 2015).…”

Section: Can We Reduce Coral Bleaching With Genetically Enhanced Symbmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Environmental bioengineering is an alternative strategy to safeguard against climate change (Solé, 2015; Piaggio et al, 2016). Microalgae, such as Symbiodinium , are clear and promising candidates for genetic engineering with the aim of regaining and preserving ecosystem-climate homeostasis (Solé, 2015) because they can significantly influence the health of entire ecosystems (Berkelmans and van Oppen, 2006; Kirk and Weis, 2016; Murray et al, 2016).…”

Section: Can We Reduce Coral Bleaching With Genetically Enhanced Symbmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Considering the great promise shown by genetic engineering-based approaches to promote environmental health (Jacobs et al, 2013; Powell, 2014) and human health (Paine et al, 2005; Harris et al, 2012; Gabrieli et al, 2014), as well as to sustain food security (Schroeder et al, 2013), it is logical for genetic engineering to be proposed as an important component of the growing repertoire of forward-looking coral reef management approaches (van Oppen et al, 2015; Piaggio et al, 2016). Due to the urgent need to protect coral reefs from climate change, the Symbiodinium research community must commit to an all-hands-on-deck attitude to achieve and extensively test genetic enhancement of Symbiodinium and other novel reef restoration strategies in the laboratory setting.…”

Section: Can We Reduce Coral Bleaching With Genetically Enhanced Symbmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Engineering Strategies to Decode and Enhance the Genomes of Coral Symbionts

et al. 2017

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Elevated sea surface temperatures from a severe and prolonged El Niño event (2014–2016) fueled by climate change have resulted in mass coral bleaching (loss of dinoflagellate photosymbionts, Symbiodinium spp., from coral tissues) and subsequent coral mortality, devastating reefs worldwide. Genetic variation within and between Symbiodinium species strongly influences the bleaching tolerance of corals, thus recent papers have called for genetic engineering of Symbiodinium to elucidate the genetic basis of bleaching-relevant Symbiodinium traits. However, while Symbiodinium has been intensively studied for over 50 years, genetic transformation of Symbiodinium has seen little success likely due to the large evolutionary divergence between Symbiodinium and other model eukaryotes rendering standard transformation systems incompatible. Here, we integrate the growing wealth of Symbiodinium next-generation sequencing data to design tailored genetic engineering strategies. Specifically, we develop a testable expression construct model that incorporates endogenous Symbiodinium promoters, terminators, and genes of interest, as well as an internal ribosomal entry site from a Symbiodinium virus. Furthermore, we assess the potential for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing through new analyses of the three currently available Symbiodinium genomes. Finally, we discuss how genetic engineering could be applied to enhance the stress tolerance of Symbiodinium, and in turn, coral reefs.

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“…populations with relatively low evolutionary potential). Despite strong evidence that extinction risk increases as genetic diversity decreases (Frankham, Peers et al 2016), excluding the promise of using genome-editing technologies to enhance conservation outcomes for extant threatened species (Hellmann & Pfrender 2011;Shapiro 2015;Johnson et al 2016;Taylor & Gemmell 2016;Piaggio et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maximising evolutionary potential in functional proxies for extinct species: a conservation genetic perspective on de‐extinction

2017

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Summary 1.De-extinction sensu stricto is the resurrection of phenotypic traits once possessed by extinct species to create extant functional proxies. To realise the ecological benefit of de-extinction, self-sustaining (genetically viable) populations of functional proxies are required. 2. It is often implied, yet rarely stated, that the genetic challenges associated with the survival and recovery of extant threatened species in an effort to conserve biodiversity are also relevant to the use of functional proxies of extinct species as a conversation tool. 3. Here, we highlight the importance of prioritising evolutionary potential À the capacity to evolve (adapt) in response to environmental change À in populations of functional proxies. 4. We use conservation genetic principles to describe impediments to the creation and maintenance of evolutionary potential as a series of potentially unavoidable genetic bottlenecks (preextinction, resurrection, captive, translocation). 5. To give any successfully translocated populations of functional proxies the best chance to survive beyond the first few generations in the wild, we advocate the use of a holistic framework that includes the creation of sufficiently large, genetically diverse populations that harbour the ability to adapt to a changing environment.

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Is It Time for Synthetic Biodiversity Conservation?

Cited by 137 publications

References 44 publications

Harnessing synthetic biology for kelp forest conservation¹

Harnessing synthetic biology for kelp forest conservation¹

Engineering Strategies to Decode and Enhance the Genomes of Coral Symbionts

Maximising evolutionary potential in functional proxies for extinct species: a conservation genetic perspective on de‐extinction

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Is It Time for Synthetic Biodiversity Conservation?

Cited by 137 publications

References 44 publications

Harnessing synthetic biology for kelp forest conservation1

Harnessing synthetic biology for kelp forest conservation1

Engineering Strategies to Decode and Enhance the Genomes of Coral Symbionts

Maximising evolutionary potential in functional proxies for extinct species: a conservation genetic perspective on de‐extinction

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Product

Resources

About

Harnessing synthetic biology for kelp forest conservation¹

Harnessing synthetic biology for kelp forest conservation¹