Gene Editing Offers Solutions to Help Save Endangered Species

An international team of scientists suggests that gene editing technologies could be used to support biodiversity conservation by restoring lost genetic diversity in endangered species. In a Nature Reviews Biodiversity Perspective article, the authors propose a framework for integrating genome engineering into conservation strategies, while emphasizing the need for careful implementation and ethical consideration.

Led by Cock van Oosterhout from University of East Anglia, the team includes experts from institutions across Europe, the United States, and Mauritius. They argue that as species face rapid environmental change, many have lost the genetic variation needed to adapt and survive. Traditional conservation approaches such as captive breeding can boost population sizes but often fail to recover lost gene variants, leaving populations vulnerable over time.

“Gene engineering provides a way to restore that variation,” said van Oosterhout, noting that DNA retrieved from museum specimens or related species could help bring back immune-system or climate-tolerance genes. Without restoring this variation, populations may suffer from genomic erosion—fixed harmful mutations and diminished adaptability—despite numerical recovery. 

The pink pigeon in Mauritius demonstrates this challenge. Though its population has grown from about 10 to over 600 through conservation, genetic studies predict that without further intervention, it could go extinct within a century due to continued genomic erosion.

The authors outline three gene editing applications: restoring genetic diversity using historical DNA; facilitating adaptation by adding beneficial traits from related species; and removing harmful mutations. They also stress the importance of small-scale, carefully monitored trials and broad public engagement.

“Biodiversity faces unprecedented threats that demand unprecedented solutions,” said co author Hernán Morales. “Genome editing is not a replacement for species protection and will never be a magical fix—its role must be carefully evaluated alongside established conservation strategies as part of a broader, integrated approach with species protection as a guiding principle.”