Nature's code: molecular tools for wildlife genomic health and conservation

Using genomics to assess wildlife health at the genomic, cellular, and regulatory levels

The accelerating pace of global change presents profound challenges for wildlife health and survival. From habitat loss and climate change to pollution and emerging diseases, threatened populations face a host of pressures that jeopardise their resilience. Conservation biology has traditionally focused on genetics, but advances in genomic sciences now offer unprecedented tools to understand how species adapt, persist, or decline in the face of these threats. For scientists working in species recovery, these approaches also provide the evidence needed to design more effective interventions for example by optimising breeding or translocation programs. Whether diagnosing hidden genetic risks, uncovering the environmental imprints in cells, or measuring recent environmental exposures through epigenetics, molecular advances provide tools that can guide populations toward persistence in an increasingly uncertain world.

This event will explore how genomics can move conservation beyond traditional markers of diversity, enabling us to assess health at the genomic, cellular, and regulatory levels. Speakers will focus on innovative tools developed in biomedical research, and how these can be integrated to offer insight into wildlife health, from the hihi in Aotearoa New Zealand to the sea turtle in Cabo Verde.

Speakers

• Dr Patricia Brekke, Institute of Zoology, ZSL - Genomic health and reproduction in conservation
• Dr Charley Yen, Queen Mary University of London
• Dr Alex Cagan, University of Cambridge and Wellcome Sanger Institute - The Turtle Project: how can epigenetics advance sea turtle conservation?

Find out more about the event and other future events here.

Attending this event

• This Science and Conservation Event is free to attend but registration is required so we can monitor event numbers.
• The event will feature talks from the speakers, followed by a Q&A discussion panel. It will run from 6:00pm - 7:30pm, and doors will open at 5:30pm.
• Seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Venue: Huxley Lecture Theatre at the Meeting Rooms of the Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, NW1 4RY.
• Travel: Nearest underground: Camden Town Station; Nearest bus: no. 274.
• Recording disclaimer: The presentations and Q&A session will be recorded, and the recording published on our Science and Conservation YouTube channel afterwards. Please be aware that by attending this event you consent to be filmed or your voice to be recorded during the Q&A session, which will be included in the published video.

Further Information

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