According to a new study, by modifying the genes
of microbes in the soil, it might be possible to make a dry ecosystem more
flexible to climate change and overgrazing.
Apparently, the
research is in the early stages and presently consists of theoretical work using
computer models. However, the models suggest that even relatively small changes
to key organisms could have profound effects.
40% of the earth’s land area roughly cover “drylands” and are home to about 40% of the human
population.
According to a
biophysicist Ricard Sole, at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain. Several dry
lands host productive ecosystems that are adapted to low levels of moisture.
But when such ecosystems are subject to overgrazing or a warming climate, they
can collapse and turn into much less hospitable deserts. These collapses often
happen suddenly after the ecosystem passes a “tipping point.”
Sole and his team are
working to see whether genetic changes to microorganisms could shift these
tipping points. For instance, it may be possible to take photosynthetic
bacteria that already live in dryland soils and splice in genes that allow
them to store more water or capture more phosphorus. These engineered bacteria
could then enrich the soil, allowing plants to grow and create shade, which
would support more bacteria's growth.
Richard solely explains
such mutually benefitting relationships between species as cooperative loops.
In one set of models, his team colleagues simulated new
cooperative loops and observed how they affected the rest of the virtual
ecosystem. In another set of models, they simulated microbes with increased
ability to disperse and spread to new areas.
According to the sole
both types of modifications will allow simulating ecosystem to function under
direr condition.
Theoretically
engineered microbes might allow dryland ecosystems to survive for several more
decades, giving humanity more time to address the underlying problem such as
climate change.
How microbes engineering works?
Soil microbial environment. Microbes can be
beneficial at mediating processes like nutrient cycling mineralization, disease
resistance and protection from abiotic stresses or pathogenic. In either case
the detection of specific microbes and microbial compounds in the soil is
important, both as a means to gauge soil activity and to direct interventions
as needed.
But, the detection of
biological species is difficult, and while biochemical assays have been
developed for some targets, several compounds cannot be measured without intensive
profiling techniques.
Humans are creating
genetically-engineered microbial sensors to detect biological targets of
interest. Although it is difficult to create nonbiological systems to sense
biological targets, proteins with affinity for specific biological molecules
are common in nature.
By using genetic engineering
tools, we can re-purpose these proteins to trigger a detectable response in a
selected microbial chassis. These microbial sensors can potentially be utilized
to continually monitor for certain targets or to implement self-contained
responsive systems, such s narrow-range pesticide release upon detection of a
known pathogens.
The role of climate change and desertification
Desertification has always
been the greatest environmental challenge, and climate change is making it worse.
It’s an issue that
reaches far beyond those living in and around the world’s deserts, threatening
the food security and livelihood of more than two billion people.
The impact of climate
change, land mismanagement, and unsustainable freshwater use has seen the
world’s water-scarce regions increasingly degraded. This leaves their soil less
able to support crops, livestock, and wildlife.
In 1994, the United
Nations established the “United nations convention to combat desertification.”
as the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and
development to sustainable land management. The convention itself was a response
to a call at the UN earth summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 to hold negotiations
for an international legal agreement on desertification.
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