Sequence to Survival: Using Genomics to Save Biodiversity

A Free Public Symposium

Friday, May 1, 2026 Merrill Cultural Center, UC Santa Cruz Main Campus Doors open at 12:30 PM | Program begins at 1:00 PM

Registration is free but required!

In the 25 years since the Human Genome Project, scientists have sequenced the DNA of thousands of species. But what can genomics actually do for ecological conservation? The answers are both surprising and urgent. Join us for an afternoon at the cutting edge of conservation genomics as we explore everything from de-extinction to searching water samples for viral genomes, with researchers from the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute who are turning DNA into a tool for protecting life on Earth.

Keynote Speaker: Beth Shapiro Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UC Santa Cruz; Director of Conservation Genomics, UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute

Beth Shapiro leads the science behind Colossal Biosciences’ efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth and dire wolf. In her talk, “How and Why to Clone a Mammoth,” she’ll share what the science of de-extinction is revealing about how we can protect the species we still have — and why the tools being built for resurrection may be our best hope for preventing extinction in the first place.

Panel Discussion: Conservation Genomics in Action

Following the keynote, Beth joins a panel of researchers working on the front lines of conservation: helping kelp forests survive warming oceans, tracking the genetic health of California’s brown bears, monitoring biodiversity through DNA collected from soil and water, and partnering with Indigenous communities to protect species around the world. Panel participants include:

• Beth Shapiro- Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, CSO of Colossal Biosciences
• David Haussler- Scientific Director of the UCSC Genomics Institute, Distinguished Professor of Biomolecular Engineering at UC Santa Cruz
• Meaghan Clark- Postdoctoral Scholar in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCSC
• Katie Jones- Director of Community Engagement at Wise Ancestors
• Joanna Kelly- Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz
• Rachel Meyers – Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, CSO of eDNA Explorer

Science Fair Showcase

Explore live demos and talk directly with researchers from some of the top conservation genomics labs in the country. Come curious.

Full list of table topics to come!

Schedule

12:30 PM — Doors open
1:00 PM — Welcome remarks
1:10 PM — Keynote: Beth Shapiro
1:50 PM — Panel discussion and Q&A
2:50 PM — Refreshments and science fair showcase
4:30 PM — Event close