Plenary Talk - Captive Conservation Genomics - is that a thing?

At this month's ERGA Plenary meeting (Monday, November 18 at 15:00 CET) invited speaker Mirte Bosse will give a talk entitled "Captive Conservation Genomics - is that a thing?"

Abstract

Zoo populations can serve as an important resource for preserving threatened species. However, to ensure the sustainability of these populations, careful management is needed to maintain genetic diversity, minimize inbreeding, and prevent hybridization. Captive populations often face challenges due to small numbers of individuals, which can reduce genetic diversity and increase the risk of inbreeding. Additionally, these populations may diverge from their wild counterparts over time due to genetic drift, artificial selection, and adaptation to the captive environment. Modern genomic technologies can help assess the sustainability of captive populations and their potential for reintroduction by providing insights into genetic relationships, inbreeding, and harmful mutations. Genomic sequencing also allows for a deeper understanding of a species' evolutionary history, population structure, and local adaptations, which can be used to study how to optimize the genetic compatibility of reintroduced individuals with wild populations. This plenary discusses how expanding genomic tools using zoo animals can improve the management of endangered species beyond captivity.

Speaker's Bio - Mirte Bosse

Dr Mirte Bosse is affiliated with VU University in Amsterdam and Wageningen University. After her cum laude PhD graduation in Wageningen on the hybrid nature of pig genomes, she went 'from livestock to wildlife and now works in the field of conservation genomics. Here she uses the information stored in genome sequences to learn more about the history of endangered species. She develops genomics techniques to measure genetic health from genomes to get more insight into the dangers of inbreeding, now and in the future.

Collaboration is key in conservation, therefore Mirte has long-term projects together with zoos to ensure the scientific findings are adopted in practice. She recently received a VIDI grant for her Asian Elephants project in which the genetic health of Asian elephants in European zoos and beyond is examined to explore reintroduction potential and find the perfect balance between in- and outbreeding.

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