Confronting an existential crisis

Earth's average surface temperature has increased more than 1.18 degrees Celsius over the past two centuries. The resulting climate change is contributing to more intense hurricanes, extreme flooding, and rampaging wildfires — and to slower-moving crises such as drought, food insecurity, deadly high temperatures, extinction of many species, and spreading infectious diseases.
 
Those are just the effects we can see. What biological effects of climate change are not yet apparent? What impacts will it have on human health and well-being in coming decades?
 
Right now, science has limited knowledge about how to mitigate the negative effects of increased temperature on biology, and society lacks biotechnological tools to begin addressing detrimental impacts. Huge segments of the world’s population will be at risk if scientists and engineers cannot develop methods for anticipating, understanding, and ameliorating climate change’s effects on human health. 
 
“Whitehead Institute believes that climate change is an existential crisis for humanity; further, that we must help create the fundamental scientific knowledge and biotech tools necessary to protect human health in the face of the emerging challenges,” says Institute director Ruth Lehmann. “We are establishing the Whitehead Initiative on Biology, Health, and Climate Change (WIBHC) to explore the biological impacts of increased global temperatures and their implications for human health; and to spark new biomedical and biotech interventions to prevent or treat detrimental impacts on health and mitigate negative effects on agriculture and other essential natural systems.”

Initially, the WIBHC is pursuing work in:
 
Plant Biology — including projects seeking to create seed-producing plant varieties that are more nutritious, have a higher yield, and are adapted to climate change; and develop methods to synthesize or make more environmentally sustainable the availability of medicines and industrial products that originate in plants. Another effort focuses on orphan crops, which are species that are essential food sources in small areas but are not able to be grown internationally. Through genetic research, researchers hope to enhance these plants for production elsewhere. Recently, an anonymous donor made a gift of $3 million to the Institute's Dr. Vincent J. Ryan Orphan Plant Project to support this initiative.

Infectious Disease — including exploration of climate change’s effects on development of infectious organisms and the robustness of the hosts that transmit them; and development of one-time, bioengineering-based interventions that prevent vector-based disease transmission. 
 
Temperature Sensitive Cellular Processes — including exploration of the molecular mechanisms by which organisms adapt to extreme environmental conditions; and investigation of the effects of temperature increase on cellular proteins, cell function, and organism reproduction.
 
Across those scientific thrusts, the WIBHC will also generate new tools and methods to help drive research and development forward; initiate scientific collaborations and institutional partnerships; and help inform the public and train future generations of researchers and policymakers.
 
“Whitehead Institute has long been a pioneer in foundational biological research,” Lehmann says. “Today, we are passionately committed to applying the Institute’s knowledge, tools, and capacity for innovation to protect human health from emerging climate challenges.
 
“As traumatic as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, it enabled scientists to demonstrate both the practical value of discovery research and our collective ability to quickly uncover, translate, and apply new knowledge,” Lehmann observes. “Overcoming climate change’s threats to human health will require an even larger scientific effort. And it will demand a similar willingness by funders to make up-front investments in research and development.”