Ethical monitoring of genetic and genomic assessing and editing methods to save endangered wildlife species PRIORITY RESEARCH GRANT CALL 2024

Conservation is a crisis discipline (Soulè 1985) and ethical considerations play a critical role in guiding and assessing the ethical acceptability of conservation efforts, especially when opening new frontiers and creating blue prints. However, the ethical assessment of new approaches and procedures is often overlooked in wildlife conservation, leading to uncertainties regarding the reputation of the projects involved. It is crucial to anticipate potential hazards by conducting a comprehensive ethical evaluation that encompasses environmental, animal welfare, social and research ethics. In this context, three main lines of investigation will be developed:

  1. To modify and validate the ethical assessment tool (ETHAS) already developed for Assisted Reproductive Technologies ART to be applied to the ethical monitoring of genetic and genomic assessing and editing methods to save endangered wildlife species;
  2. To design a dedicated ethical analysis to support decision making on how to proceed to possibly enhancing the genetic viability of endangered wildlife species;
  3. To assess the different ethical perspectives surrounding the acceptability and public understanding of the new approaches and procedures developed to save endangered wildlife species.

Five publications related to the Research Topic for the candidate interview: 

  1. Sandler, R. L., Moses, L., & Wisely, S. M. (2021). An ethical analysis of cloning for genetic rescue: Case study of the black-footed ferret. Biological Conservation, 257, 109118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109118
  2. Andrew Mooney, Oliver A. Ryder, Marlys L. Houck, Johanna Staerk, Dalia A. Conde, Yvonne M. Buckley (2023). Maximizing the potential for living cell banks to contribute to global conservation priorities. Zoo Biology, 42 (6), https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21787
  3. Saragusty, J., Diecke, S., Drukker, M., Durrant, B., Friedrich Ben-Nun, I., Galli, C., Göritz, F., Hayashi, K., Hermes, R., Holtze, S., Johnson, S., Lazzari, G., Loi, P., Loring, J. F., Okita, K., Renfree, M. B., Seet, S., Voracek, T., Stejskal, J., … Hildebrandt, T. B. (2016). Rewinding the Process of Mammalian Extinction. Zoo Biology, 35(4), 280–292. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21284
  4. Jensen, K. K., Forsberg, E. M., Gamborg, C., Millar, K., & Sandøe, P. (2011). Facilitating Ethical Reflection Among Scientists Using the Ethical Matrix. Science and Engineering Ethics, 17(3), 425–445. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-010-9218-2
  5. Minteer, B. A., & Collins, J. P. (2005). Ecological Ethics: Building a New Tool Kit for Ecologists and Biodiversity Managers. Conservation Biology, 19(6), 1803–1812. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00281.x

Contact person

Prof. Barbara De Mori

Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (https://www.bca.unipd.it/)
University of Padova
tel.: +39-049-8274519
e-mail: barbara.demori@unipd.it