Can Biotechnology Be The Next Frontier For Wildlife Conservation?
Tags: Biotechnology, Nature, Wenaturalists, Extinction, Conservation

It began with scientists noticing a facial tumor in endangered Tasmanian devils in 1996. It was quickly spreading among populations and threatening to wipe out the species. Called as the ‘devil facial tumor disease’, it disfigures the victim and is known to cause death from starvation or suffocation. It has a 90 to 100 percent lethality rate, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2011.

The marsupials were earlier found in many parts of Australia, but today are only seen in Tasmania. The disease afflicting them has been described as “nothing we know in humans or in virtually any other animal. It acts like a virus but it actually is spread by a whole cancerous cell that arose in one individual several decades ago.”

Scientists devised a method in an attempt to save the species from extinction and to also better understand the disease. They used high-tech genetic technology to study the DNA code of the animals.

What is Genetics and Genomics?

Genetics is defined as “the study of heredity, or how the characteristics of living organisms are transmitted from one generation to the next via DNA, the substance that comprises genes, the basic unit of heredity.”

Genomics, in contrast, “is the study of the entirety of an organism’s genes — called the genome. Using high-performance computing and math techniques known as bioinformatics, genomics researchers analyze enormous amounts of DNA-sequence data to find variations that affect health, disease or drug response.”

How Did Genome Sequencing Save the Tasmanian Devils?

Conservation experts first began by isolating and breeding a fraction of the healthy animals, which would eventually be released into the wild.

A team led by Schuster and Webb Miller of Penn State and Vanessa Hayes of the Venter Institute in San Diego sequenced two types of the Tasmanian devils — Cedric and Spirit — found in different regions of Tasmania to understand the genetic diversity of the species. They then compared the genetic sequence with that of humans, the most documented species to ever exist. It was observed that the Tasmanian devil only had 20 percent of the genetic diversity possessed by humans. Genetic diversity is the centre pillar for species and ecosystem diversities and the main goal of conservation genetics is to apply the knowledge of genetics to reduce the risk of extinction.

Why We Need This

The genome sequencing tech helps the researchers to read the A, C, T, G sequences, which are known as the building blocks of DNA. The scans of the Tasmanian devils were a revelation. It was discovered that the population of Tasmanian devils had a low genetic diversity, which made them vulnerable to the disease. It was learned that the disease is contracted skin-to-skin — by either biting, fighting, or mating.

Schuster and his team believe that if they are successful in their endeavour, the Tasmanian devil population could “rebound and become self-sustaining again within as few as two or three generations”.

Furthermore, the experts used the genetic code to devise a test to identify the specific genetic differences between the species. The findings suggest that genome sequencing is a helpful tool for the conservation of different species.

21st century: The Year of Biology

We have only begun to understand the revolutionary ways that we can preserve species based on whole-genome analyses of two Tasmanian devils. The model also tells us how we can extend this to conserve other endangered species. Biotechnology is undergoing an immense transformation. Genetic innovations are challenging and pushing boundaries in unimaginable ways.

According to genetic scientists Craig Venter and Daniel Cohen the 21st century will be known as the “century of biology” because we are now not just able to read biological code faster but also to write and design with it in new ways.

The genome sequencing technology doesn’t come cheap, though. But companies have been working towards making it cost-effective. The real test is to push for more innovations at the intersection of biotech and conservation. While this is a challenge, together it will be bridged with increased public-private partnerships. With the close collaboration of environmental groups, NGOs, and governments and armed with biotech tools and applications we will be able to find solutions to overcome wildlife extinction and also gain a better understanding of the natural world.