Dr. Stephen Frankenberg, a leading researcher in gene editing for conservation, is spearheading innovative projects that may change the future of Australia’s unique wildlife. He’s currently working with the University of Melbourne and Museums Victoria to expand this work. Together, they strive to protect endangered species from extinction through innovative genetic technologies.
To secure a future for these unique species, a biobank is being set up to freeze the cells samples from Australia’s most distinctive species. UQ’s Professor Andrew Pask, now leading efforts to decipher the full genome of the extinct thylacine from historical samples. His lab’s ultimate goal is to bring the thylacine back to life. They’ll do so by taking billions of genetic edits to its close relative, the fat-tailed dunnart.
This ambitious landmark initiative comes as Australia continues to experience more severe pressure on its biodiversity. With more than 700 species driven to the brink of extinction by invasive diseases and environmental changes, creative solutions are needed to save them.
The Role of Gene Editing in Conservation
Gene editing technology poses real and unprecedented opportunities for wildlife conservation. Dr. Frankenberg has taken the first steps toward this lofty goal by most recently editing dunnart cells. This pioneering research renders them immune to poisons secreted by the introduced cane toad, an ecological disaster for native fauna.
He explained, “It could be a couple of years really to get to the point of being able to produce quolls that are resistant to cane toads.” This study paves the way towards safeguarding Australian marsupials that cannot thrive in the face of this invasive killer.
Gene editing shines new light on Australian frogs teetering on the edge of extinction due to chytrid fungus. This virulent disease has led to the extinction of over 200 frog species since its introduction in the 1970s. Dr. Frankenberg emphasized, “There’s just no way of really protecting frogs around the world against this disease,” highlighting the urgency of the situation.
The biobank project will start with the frogs as the main amphibian focus. It’s tasked with maintaining genetic material from more than 700 total endangered species — a genetic safety net that can help prevent extinction.
Collaboration and Funding for Innovative Projects
This cooperation between Museums Victoria and the University of Melbourne serves as a great model for interdisciplinary conservation efforts. Joanna Sumner, a conservation geneticist at Museums Victoria, is opening up fruitful avenues of research. In this case, cutting-edge techniques developed in human biology are currently being used to help conserve endangered wildlife.
I think we’re just scratching the surface in terms of the technique,” Dr. Sumner said, “which, by the way, were developed and used in human biology for decades. She added, “Now the technology is better, it’s cheaper, and we’re able to apply these techniques to wildlife.” We hope, through this collaboration, to improve the public understanding of and engagement with genetic engineering as a tool towards conservation goals.
US biotechnology company Colossal is ramping up investment for such projects. Furthermore, they’ve pledged $3 million over the next three years to fund gene-editing projects with a specific aim at conservation. That kind of financial backing is absolutely essential. Ultimately, it will inform and accelerate innovative research and applications that might someday revive endangered species.
Ethical Considerations and Future Implications
While gene editing promises significant advancements in conservation, it raises ethical questions regarding its application and long-term impacts on ecosystems. Ecologist and SBS Fellow Euan Ritchie warned of possible unintended consequences. “What if all of a sudden because cane toads are edible to all these northern quolls, you end up with huge numbers of northern quolls?” he asked. He acknowledged the challenge of resolving one issue only to potentially create another.
Dr. Frankenberg underscored how complex these interventions are. He emphasized that gene editing offers new and creative approaches, but we need to think seriously about the ecological consequences. He said that this might pave the way for genetically modified species to be released on the mainland. Even better, its prospects for gradually bringing them into their home environments look promising.
Professor Pask recognized the potential impact of these projects: “That could be a game-changer for us in Australia because we know we are really impacted by adverse weather events.” The urgent need for such interventions is further underscored by the impacts of recent mega bushfires that incinerated over a third of Australia’s local koala population.
Dr. Frankenberg opened up a clear pathway for dealing with the chytrid fungus that’s posing such a threat to frog populations. “Then for each frog species, you could simply inject that [engineered] fragment into the eggs of that frog species … and then breed them up in captivity,” he explained.
