Coral reefs have been devastated in recent decades by "bleaching" events caused by overheating oceans and other factors that kill off populations of coral. But some researchers are hoping new gene-editing tools like CRISPR - Cas9 may provide new insights and perhaps even the means to save corals from becoming the wreckage of a warming world. A new study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine suggests CRISPR could be used to modify some some coral genes. "Maybe there are natural gene variants in coral that bolster their ability to survive in warmer waters; we'd want to know that." He says it's urgent to get a better understanding of coral biology and what natural defenses they might possess.

Source: Forbes April 23, 2018 18:56 UTC