IceLab 15-year anniversary public lecture with Ricard Solé: Terraforming Ecosystems
What happens when ecosystems reach a tipping point—when desertification from climate change threatens entire landscapes? When coral reefs bleach and collapse, disrupting entire marine food chains? Can we reverse environmental collapse? These were themes explored by Ricard Solé during the IceLab 15 year anniversary public lecture on May 22nd, 2025 in Aula Nordica. Please explore his lively presentation and thought-provoking subject in this captioned recording.
IceLab 15-year anniversary public lecture with Ricard Solé: Terraforming Ecosystems
What do we mean by terraforming ecosystems?
Ricard Solé, ICREA research professor at the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, explores "terraforming ecosystems" as a method to restore and stabilize environments damaged by human activity. This approach uses synthetic biology to engineer organisms capable of rehabilitating ecosystems at risk of collapse due to climate change and overexploitation. By introducing specially designed organisms, the goal is to restore ecological balance and prevent catastrophic shifts.
For example, in arid regions, engineering native microbes to enhance water retention could support plant growth and combat desertification. This strategy focuses on using organisms already adapted to local conditions, reducing risks associated with introducing foreign species.
Solé's work combines ecology, synthetic biology, and complex systems science to develop interventions that can avert ecosystem tipping points. His research includes mathematical models that predict the outcomes of introducing engineered organisms, aiming for safe and effective ecological restoration.
In this lecture, Solé discusses how synthetic biology can be applied to environmental conservation, focusing on innovative solutions to pressing ecological challenges.
About Ricard Solé
Professor Ricard Solé, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, studies complex systems, synthetic biology, and evolution.
Article about Ricard Solé's public talk
Can synthetic biology help restore collapsing ecosystems? Article about Ricard Solé's public talk.
Latest update: 2025-08-14