Synthetic Ecosystems: Design Directions for Restoration and Conservation

Ecosystem science has long relied on population dynamics to link species interactions with system-level behavior and has proved useful for rigorous risk assessment of the unprecedented biodiversity crisis driven by accelerating global change. In parallel, synthetic biology now opens the door to the rational design of ecosystems, using genetically engineered microorganisms. This thesis establishes a theoretical foundation at the crossroads of these fields and is organized into three main sections. (i) We set out a roadmap that integrates theory with experimental validation across scales, from test-tube systems to the biosphere. (ii) We develop strategies that leverage the universal properties of complex, adaptive ecosystems to articulate design principles within the paradigm of emergent engineering. (iii) We investigate planetary self-regulatory mechanisms to address the multiscale nature of the proposal, offering an operational framework for navigating the roadmap established at the outset.