Synthetic biology is not merely a tool for conservation but represents a paradigm shift that demands careful, thoughtful consideration before application.
Conservation and synthetic biology, though both grounded in biological science, are fundamentally divergent. Conservationists focus on understanding the complex interactions between nature and human activity, emphasising ecosystem protection. In contrast, synthetic biology is reductionist, often lacking insight into ecosystem dynamics, and seeks to engineer or create new life forms.
While conservation works to maintain or restore ecosystems, synthetic biology frequently introduces changes that conservationists strive to mitigate. As such, synthetic biology is not merely a tool for conservation but represents a paradigm shift that demands careful, thoughtful consideration before application.
Driven by molecular biologists and often funded by industrial or military interests, synthetic biology tends to focus on technological fixes rather than addressing the root causes of biodiversity loss. Its goals may conflict with the long-term preservation of biodiversity, necessitating a critical reassessment of its role in conservation efforts.
Synthetic biology in the context of nature conservation is about genetically engineering wild species. As this is a profound paradigm shift for nature conservation there is a need for an inclusive debate within the IUCN