Synthetic Biology*s Role in Saving Coral Reefs - BLI
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Transcript Synthetic Biology*s Role in Saving Coral Reefs - BLI
Rehabiliting Coral Reefs
Amanda Thompson
June / July 2014
Biological Research
BLI Session 1
Coral reefs cover less than .02% of our oceans
25% of all marine species live in coral reefs
58% of coral reefs are in danger due to human
activity
60% of coral reefs will disappear in the next 30 years
1200 square miles of coral reefs is destroyed annually
450 million people live
within 60 kilometers of
a coral reef
Provides jobs
Food
Protects beaches,
coastal cities, and
communities
Potential treatment for
disease
Healthy Coral
In temperatures between 64-86º F
Polyps
responsible for making coral reef’s limestone or
calcium carbonate structure
When polyps die the soft tissue decays but the calcium
carbonate structure remains
Several types of algae bind the coral segments together
Zooxanthellae lives in each coral polyp
Can reproduce asexually or sexually
Nematocystused to help
ward off
enemies /
capture prey
Zooxanthellae
Photosynthetic algae
Lives in the tissues of coral
Mutualistic relationship
Produces glucose, glycerol, and
amino acids coral then makes
proteins, fats, carbohydrates, &
calcium carbonate
Coral color
Survives off of waste & sunlight
Provides 90% of the energy
needed to grow & reproduce
Before:
After:
Coral Bleaching
Abnormal temperature causes coral to become “stressed”
The symbiotic relationship between coral and zooxanthellae is severed
Coral expels algae and causes the coral to appear white
The coral then begins to starve without the zooxanthellae
If temperatures return to normal then the zooxanthellae will be reabsorbed
and the coral can survive
Causes increased susceptibility to disease
Genomics
Breakthroughs in
polygenetic systematics
Further molecular studies of
coral biology
Molecular mechanics of
stress and resistance
Molecular machinery of
mutualism
Microarrays would
become available to
monitor the expression of
genes
Farming Coral Reefs
Scientists take tiny
fragments of coral and
grow them to a bigger size
in a lab
Then using underwater
glue the coral is cemented
into the environment and
left to grow
This should cause the
population of coral to
increase
Selective breeding is used
to plant the strongest and
most resilient coral possible
Gene Therapy Research
Roseobacteriales
cells that
transfer DNA at high frequencies
to bacterioplankton
Bacteria that produces gene
transfer units has been
sequenced & can assist in quick
adaptation
Roseobacteriales begin a chain
reaction and results in an
increased colonization rate for
corals
A specific set of genes can be
activated in some types of coral
to help the coral acclimatize
The next step is to research how
to manipulate the gene
If Coral Reef Depletion Continues…
Medicinal uses of coral cannot be researched and
utilized
Populations of marine organisms will decrease drastically
Economic instability
Global issues will continue to worsen and go on to affect
other precious ecosystems
“Our ideas, like the ocean, must be expansive”
Works Cited
"Coral Bleaching Goes from Bad to Worse." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 19 Nov. 2010. Web. 11 July
2014.
"Coral Genomes Could Aid Reef Conservation." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 24 July 2011. Web. 11 July
2014.
"Coral Reef Genes « Academy Research « Science Today." Science Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2014.
"The Experiment: Using Gene Therapy to Save Coral Reefs ‘Stressed’ by Climate Change." PlanetSave. N.p., n.d.
Web. 11 July 2014.
"Genetic Engineers and Conservation Biologists: Scenes From a First Date." Cool Green Science. N.p., n.d. Web.
11 July 2014.
"Genetics for Saving Coral Reefs from Climate Change." - Crop Biotech Update ( 10/30/2013 ). N.p., n.d. Web. 11
July 2014.
"Micklem Lab." Micklem Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2014.
Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 11 July 2014.
"OA." OA. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2014.
"OceanChallenge - Home." OceanChallenge - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2014.
Putnam, H. M., A. B. Mayfield, T. Y. Fan, C. S. Chen, and R. D. Gates. "The Physiological and Molecular Responses
of Larvae from the Reef-building Coral Pocillopora Damicornis Exposed to Near-future Increases in Temperature
and PCO2." Marine Biology 160.8 (2013): 2157-173. Web.
"Researchers Share Surprising Discovery About Coral Reef Ecology." Hawaii News. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2014.
"Synthetic Biology: Applications and Ethics." Marine Science Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2014.
"What Is Coral Bleaching?" What Is Coral Bleaching? N.p., n.d. Web. 10 July 2014.