SOUTHEAST ASIA IN THE ANTHROPOCENE: CAN SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY ADDRESS CONSERVATION CHALLENGES?

ABSTRACT:

The Anthropocene, the geological epoch we have entered, is named for the pervasive and novel impacts humans are having on the earth. Humans are breaching boundaries that have held throughout human evolution posing unprecedented conservation challenges. The developing field of synthetic biology may have both positive and negative impacts on biodiversity However, much of the interface between this emerging field and conservation remain unexplored. Within the context of threats facing species and ecosystems in Southeast Asia and pressing conservation needs, the talk will explore synthetic biology/genomic tools currently being developed and considered to address conservation issues.