Scientists are modifying wildlife DNA. Should these species be released into nature?

"Humans have become very good at altering the basic building blocks of life to their advantage. Genetically modified foods are available at most grocery stores. Researchers use gene-editing tools every day to create new medicines. But scientists are increasingly looking to use gene-editing tools in another way: to help preserve the planet's fast-eroding natural ecosystems and species. From making corals that can survive better in warming oceans to creating trees that are more resistant to disease, many scientists believe technology can be used to help augment and bolster the natural world."

"This week, one of the world's largest conservation groups will weigh in on how those gene-editing tools should be used to aid the planet's declining ecosystems and threatened species and, critically, whether genetically modified plants and animals should be allowed into the wild. At the heart of the debate is a proposed moratorium, sponsored by a coalition of environmental groups at a meeting of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), that would temporarily ban scientists from releasing genetically modified species into the wild."

""A moratorium, I think, is a wise tool to say, like: This is developing fast, there's a real push for release (of genetically modified species), but the outcomes of it are highly risky and we don't even know if this stuff will work," said Ricarda Steinbrecher, a European biologist and molecular geneticist."

Warming oceans threaten coral reefs and scientists are researching genetic modifications to boost coral heat resilience. Gene-editing tools, already widespread in food and medicine, are being proposed to preserve fast-eroding ecosystems and species, including engineered corals and disease-resistant trees. A coalition of environmental groups proposed a temporary moratorium at the IUCN to ban releasing genetically modified species into the wild, citing precaution and high ecological risks. Other scientists and conservation groups argue for considering synthetic biology among all available conservation tools to combat accelerating extinction rates.

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