Inducing Heat Tolerance in Corals Using Genetic Modification in Host and Symbiont Simultaneously

Abstract

Corals live in a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae. Coral bleaching occurs when the zooxanthellae are expelled out of the corals, with as little as two degrees increase in water temperature. Our proposed hypothesis is that establishing a symbiotic relationship between genetically modified corals and genetically modified algae (zooxanthellae) can provide better heat tolerance towards the warming oceans. There is a lot of research underway in genetically modifying either corals or zooxanthellae. We propose to combine these various research into a single project and try to predict the outcomes. The main objectives of this work are to identify various attempts in making the corals and their symbionts heat resistant, maybe by assisted evolution, and present the best possible combination as the solution to bleaching. We plan to build theoretical models based on the gene regulation of both organisms.