In only 250 years since colonization, Australia has seen the extinction of 38 species of mammals. Much of the devastation to Australia's native wildlife has been caused or exacerbated by the introduction of invasive pests like cats, dogs, cane toads, camels, and rabbits. A key question is whether science will one day be able to return Australia to its original state? In this conversation I speak with Dr. Stephen Frankenberg about genetic biocontrol and de-extinction. We focus on the use of gene drives, which are genetic tools that can be used to increase the likelihood that a suite of genes will spread throughout a population. Gene drives can be used, to spread infertility into a population over a number of generations, removing that population without having to cull animals. We also discuss the work being done to return the Tasmanian tiger from extinction.

►Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Qeth7hIPNnM

►Check out Stephen's research here: https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/pasklab/dr-stephen-frankenberg/
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Fk_RvmoAAAAJ&hl=en

►Follow Stephen on Twitter: @srfrankenberg

These conversations are supported by the Andrea von Braun foundation (http://www.avbstiftung.de/), as an exploration of the rich, exciting, connected, scientifically literate, and (most importantly) sustainable future of humanity. The views expressed in these episodes are my own and those of my guests. This episode looks at using technology to preserve species that are in threat of extinction, and to return the wild spaces that have already been destroyed.