Australia's diverse genetic koala could help save endangered colonies
March 29, 2022, 12:08 pm

Australia's diverse genetic koala could help save endangered colonies

A koala with diverse genetics could turn around the fate of endangered koala colonies along Australia's east coast (File photo: Pixabay)

Researchers from the Living Koala Genome Bank pilot program told Xinhua that a koala with diverse genetics could turn around the fate of endangered koala colonies along Australia's east coast.

Jagger is the first koala to be bred as part of the pilot program, led by the University of Queensland, and was introduced to the public on Tuesday.

The koala has been released into a colony at a conservation park on the Gold Coast, with the hope to improve the genetic diversity of the population in the long term.

Researchers said as Jagger is now in a new wild population, it will bring new genetics into that population to help improve the genetic makeup of the population that researchers are trying to conserve.

One of the researchers from the program, Dr. Tamara Keeley from the University of Queensland, told Xinhua: "The more diverse your genes are between animals, the more likelihood you have a greater number of unique genes in your population."

Jagger is the first koala to be bred as part of the pilot program, led by the University of Queensland, and was introduced to the public on Tuesday 29-03-2022 (File photo: Pixabay)

Keeley said the smaller the number of koalas, the higher the risk of inbreeding. It will not only accelerate the reduction of genetic diversity but also heighten the risk of getting diseases.

Keeley said: "When you have similar genetics between individuals, the animals within that population, they'll start to become more and more related to each other. Then you end up having cousins breeding with cousins, and you're reducing the genetic diversity."

Australia partners with Indonesia to tackle Indo-Pacific pollution

"It sometimes also reduces health, causing potential genetic abnormalities or deformities. They may not grow well."

Keeley said they evaluated the genetics of a number of wild koalas and selected Jagger's parents who have the most different genetics, which would allow for the production of a young koala with quite diverse genetics.

Researchers will also follow Jagger up in a couple of years, to see if it produced some offspring and see what the genetic makeup is of those offspring.

Humpback whales removed from Australia's list of threatened species

With most east coast koalas now listed as endangered, Keeley added they will also further improve breeding techniques and continue to do genetic analysis of these populations.

Source: xinhua

New diplomatic push to prevent violence in Palestine during Ramadan Russian strike hits government building in southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.