![]() ![]() This review will describe the ecological problem of chestnut blight, our search for solutions, scientific progress and success, and current efforts to put this solution into practice. It also exemplifies the unique potential for this technology to be used for environmental and cultural benefits outside agriculture. ![]() This is an exciting and unique endeavor because, to our knowledge, this is the first bioengineered organism developed specifically with the goal of ecological restoration. The ultimate goal is a diverse, self-sustaining population of blight-tolerant American chestnut in the forests of eastern North America. Pending approval from regulatory agencies, we hope to facilitate introgression of this blight tolerance trait into the surviving remnant American chestnut populations through controlled breeding and restoration plantings. Researchers at the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), with the help of many collaborators from various universities, nongovernmental organizations, and the general public, have used GE to develop blight-tolerant American chestnut trees. ![]() A model for this approach is provided by the American chestnut ( Castanea dentata), which was devastated by a chestnut blight caused by an invasive fungal pathogen. We believe the ability to mitigate this unprecedented threat to the biodiversity and economic value of these ecosystems will require the integration of multiple approaches, including genetic engineering (GE) ( Woodcock et al. These problems may be exacerbated by climate change ( Dukes et al. Forest ecosystems are being transformed by invasive species through the elimination or broad degradation of ecological function of tree species ( Lovett et al. ![]()
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