Biologist William Powell says the best way to revive the American chestnut tree, one of the most common trees in the country until a fungal blight effectively erased it from the landscape, could be genetic engineering. Ensia says Powell developed a blight-resistant chestnut tree through genetic engineering, but that he faces a daunting path for regulatory approval. The “gnarly intersection of genetic engineering, nature and conservation” is becoming a topic of discussion, writes reporter Greg Breining. “Think about it: Producing a white pine immune to blister rust or North American ash trees impervious to emerald ash borer. Engineering corals to thrive in more acidic waters.”
Besides the thicket of government regulation, the rules for green-forest certification are cast against GMO trees, says Breining. GE also could be used to combat invasive species or to control mosquitos that spread disease. The technology could be used as well to introduce genetic diversity into rare species with material gleaned from museum specimens, suggests the Long Now Foundation’s Revive and Restore Program. “For now, GMO approaches to boosting conservation remain in the laboratory,” says Ensia.