Tracing Retrovirus through the Generations for Conservation and Health

Technology is making a powerful difference in the world of conservation, and our teams are at the forefront.

SAN DIEGO (Jan. 9, 2024) – To apply cutting-edge technology to the conservation of koalas, San Diego Wildlife Alliance is partnering with Illumina, a leading genomic sequencing technology company, through the Illumina iConserve program to sequence the whole genomes (an individual’s complete set of DNA) of nearly 100 koalas residing in North America over the past 30 years. Whole genome sequencing is integral to learning more about Koala Retrovirus, KoRV – a virus that can insert into the koala genome and is associated with various health issues in koalas including immunosuppression and cancer.

Biodiversity banking is a critical component of conservation, and the need for it is more urgent than ever. 

SAN DIEGO (Oct. 28, 2021) – Conservation scientists at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance reported an extraordinary discovery this week in the Journal of Heredity, the official journal of the American Genetic Association, that could have rippling effects for wildlife genetics and conservation science. 

DENVER — Black-footed ferret recovery efforts aimed at increased genetic diversity and disease resistance took a bold step forward Dec. 10, 2020, with the birth of “Elizabeth Ann,” created from the frozen cells of “Willa,” a black-footed ferret that lived more than 30 years ago.

In a study that has unprecedented implications to advance both medicine and biodiversity conservation, researchers have sequenced 131 new placental mammal genomes, bringing the worldwide total to more than 250.

Genomes help us answer long-standing questions about Pacific pocket mice.