The Revive & Restore mission is to enhance biodiversity through the genetic rescue of endangered and extinct species. To do this, we act as a catalyst in three distinct roles:

• CONNECT – We connect a global network of science, conservation, and genetic technology experts. Together, we establish priorities and opportunities for biotechnology to make a difference in wildlife conservation. 
• ADVANCE – We identify conservation challenges where biotechnology can bring innovative solutions. By working with research partners, we co-create new tools for conservation.
• FUND – We fund transformative, early-stage bioscience research and proof-of-concept projects that can be applied to high-value, high-impact wildlife conservation challenges.

“In a world filled with challenges, I’m inspired by organizations that bring hope, optimism and solutions. And that’s YOU — Revive & Restore.

The reproductive biology of birds makes it difficult to apply key technologies used for genetic rescue in mammals such as in vitro fertilization and cloning. To overcome this challenge, we launched the Biotechnology for Bird Conservation Program.

Impact Highlights this Year:

• We raised over $5 million for the Biotechnology for Bird Conservation program.
• We launched this program with a call for proposals to develop reproductive and gene-editing methods tailored to enable new tools suited for the unique biology and conservation demands of birds.
• As a result, we selected 8 proposals led by scientists in the U.S., Germany, Korea, and Japan, building new tools for diverse birds ranging from cockatiels to peacocks. Research is now underway.

Wild Genomes accelerates the adoption of genomic sequencing for applied wildlife conservation. Through our portfolio of projects, we provide state-of-the-art genomic tools to the people who need them most: field scientists, wildlife managers, and citizens working to protect their local biodiversity.

Impact Highlights this Year:

• We developed a new partnership with the Morris Animal Foundation. This led to two new Wild Genomes initiatives: one for kelp ecosystems and one for amphibians.
• We received 38 applications to our Wild Genomes Amphibians program, from applicants spanning 13 countries.
• We opened our call for proposals for the Kelp Ecosystems topic in October 2022. We will begin selecting applicants in 2023.

In partnership with the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), Revive & Restore is forging a path to enable the genetic rescue of US endangered species. Our goal with Informed Biobanking is to cryopreserve samples from all US endangered species, making biobanking standard practice in conservation.

Impact Highlights this Year:

• We developed a biobanking pipeline for cell culturing with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and ViaGen.
• We laid the groundwork for a biobanking pilot program with the USFWS. The pilot will biobank and sequence genomes from 10 endangered species in the US Southwest. 
• We compiled standard protocols for tissue collection, starting with mammal species.

Since 2013, Revive & Restore has been working to develop solutions to the threats challenging the future of the endangered black-footed ferret: low genetic diversity and sylvatic plague. In 2022, with funding from the US Fish & Wildlife Service and Morris Animal Foundation, we’ve launched two cutting-edge projects to address both threats.

Impact Highlights this Year:

• We were awarded a Recovery Challenge grant from the USFWS, for foundational research on genetic interventions for sylvatic plague. This is the first USFWS grant to leverage synthetic biology techniques for potential use in an endangered species.
• Our collaborator, Dr. Kamila Mustafina at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is pursuing a synthetic biology approach to creating genetic vaccines against sylvatic plague that can be inherited through the germline.
• We’ve scoped a project to develop a gene editing technique that would enable lost genetic diversity to be added back to the black-footed ferret gene pool, in collaboration with Dr. Jef Boeke at New York University.

Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems on our planet, but over 50% of the world’s corals have already been lost with as much as 90% loss projected by 2050. The Advanced Coral Toolkit supports the development and fielding of new biotechnologies that benefit coral resilience and restoration efforts.

Impact Highlights this Year:

• Thanks to a generous grant from Oceankind in 2022, we’ve extended the Advanced Coral Toolkit another 3 years.
• In partnership with scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and University of California – Berkeley, we’ve demonstrated that coral fragments can be frozen and thawed by isochoric freezing techniques, opening up the potential for large scale coral biobanks.
• We’ve shown that coral stem cells can be isolated from a donor coral and transplanted to a recipient coral, in partnership with scientists at the University of Miami and Ben Gurion University.
• In partnership with scientists at Rutgers University, we’ve developed a method for detecting metabolic signatures of coral stress for use in field surveys.