As the conservation challenges increase, new approaches are needed to help combat losses in biodiversity and slow or reverse the decline of threatened species. Genome-editing technology is changing the face of modern biology, facilitating applications that were unimaginable only a decade ago. The technology has the potential to make significant contributions to the fields of evolutionary biology, ecology, and conservation, yet the fear of unintended consequences from designer ecosystems containing engineered organisms has stifled innovation. To overcome this gap in the understanding of what genome editing is and what its capabilities are, more research is needed to translate genome-editing discoveries into tools for ecological research. Emerging and future genome-editing technologies include new clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) targeted sequencing and nucleic acid detection approaches as well as species genetic barcoding and somatic genome-editing technologies. These genome-editing tools have the potential to transform the environmental sciences by providing new noninvasive methods for monitoring threatened species or for enhancing critical adaptive traits. A pioneering effort by the conservation community is required to apply these technologies to real-world conservation problems.

中文翻译：

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通过基因组编辑改变生态学和保护生物学

随着保护挑战的增加，需要新的方法来帮助应对生物多样性的损失并减缓或扭转受威胁物种的衰退。基因组编辑技术正在改变现代生物学的面貌，促进了十年前无法想象的应用。该技术有可能对进化生物学、生态学和保护领域做出重大贡献，但对包含工程生物的设计生态系统的意外后果的恐惧扼杀了创新。为了克服对什么是基因组编辑及其功能的理解上的差距，需要进行更多的研究，将基因组编辑的发现转化为生态研究的工具。新兴和未来的基因组编辑技术包括新的成簇规则间隔短回文重复序列 (CRISPR) 靶向测序和核酸检测方法，以及物种遗传条形码和体细胞基因组编辑技术。这些基因组编辑工具有可能通过提供新的非侵入性方法来监测受威胁的物种或增强关键的适应性特征，从而改变环境科学。需要保护社区的开拓性努力才能将这些技术应用于现实世界的保护问题。这些基因组编辑工具有可能通过提供新的非侵入性方法来监测受威胁的物种或增强关键的适应性特征，从而改变环境科学。需要保护社区的开拓性努力才能将这些技术应用于现实世界的保护问题。这些基因组编辑工具有可能通过提供新的非侵入性方法来监测受威胁的物种或增强关键的适应性特征，从而改变环境科学。需要保护社区的开拓性努力才能将这些技术应用于现实世界的保护问题。