The latest instalment of the Speaker Series at Tūranga will explore a difficult question at the intersection of conservation and genetic biology. Professor Tammy Steeves and Professor Jack Heinemann work just down the hall from each other at the University of Canterbury, but have arrived at differing perspectives on the question of whether synthetic biology should play a role in conservation. You can hear from them both at 6pm on Thursday 9 July in Auaha Hīhī (He Hononga | Ground floor, Tūranga).
Wherever you live, it is becoming impossible to ignore the warning signs of biodiversity loss worldwide. Open any news or social media site and you’ll be confronted with visions of forests burning, ecosystems collapsing, and graphs charting species decline so steeply that the line seems to drop off the page. The scale of this loss, and the degree to which it has been driven by human activity, is unprecedented.
As information spreads ever faster, so too does our awareness of climate change and the technologies we are using to respond to it. The biotechnology sphere, in particular, is evolving rapidly, with new tools becoming available each year. Synthetic biology, meaning technology that can genetically modify living organisms, is now being discussed as a way to protect threatened species or control invasive pests. Yet these possibilities come alongside difficult ethical, ecological, and cultural questions.
Who decides whether genetically modified organisms should be introduced into natural systems? What happens when technologies developed under tightly controlled laboratory conditions enter the unpredictable complexity of the natural world? Who should determine what is acceptable, either scientifically, ethically, or culturally? If extinction is a natural part of evolution, are we playing God by intervening to prevent it? These are not abstract questions, but ones which scientists, policymakers, and indigenous communities around the world are already grappling with.
The July 9 discussion will introduce audiences to the key ideas behind the use of synthetic biology in conservation, as well as the work of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Rather than presenting an answer, the evening will explore the arguments for and against use of these technologies, aiming to illuminate how complex the debate actually is.
Tūranga is fortunate to host two researchers with such internationally significant expertise. Taken in tandem, their perspectives highlight how experts working from shared evidence can nevertheless arrive at different conclusions about emerging technologies and what responsibilities we have to the natural world.
Conversations about genetic technologies often become polarised, with this tech being either demonised or lauded as a miraculous saviour. Real scientific debate is far more nuanced than that. This Speaker Series invites audiences to join the professors in that nuance and uncertainty.
Whether you’re a student, researcher, or simply curious about the future of conservation, this talk invites you to engage with the questions shaping it. Join us on July 9 to take part in this kōrero at the frontier of modern conservation.
Professor Tammy Steeves
Professor Tammy Steeves is a conservation geneticist whose work focuses on improving the recovery outcomes of threatened species. She is Vice Chair for Science on an IUCN specialist group, with much of her work being concentrated on the genetic consequences faced by species with small population sizes. Her research informs conservation management strategies for species, particularly those threatened in Aotearoa. Collaboration underscores her mahi, and she works closely alongside Indigenous knowledge holders and local communities. This expertise has placed her at the forefront of international conversations about genetic technology in conservation.
Professor Jack Heinemann
Professor Jack Heinemann brings a different set of expertise to the discussion. His areas of research include microorganisms, antibiotic resistance, and risk assessments around genetic technologies. For nearly two decades, he has contributed research to international biosafety and bioethics through the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. He has also served on the UN Roster of Biosafety Experts and was an author on the pivotal and widely discussed Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
For further reading and learning topics related to this Speaker Series:
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