Why "Moonshots" Need Evolution
When Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan pledged $3 billion to "cure, prevent or manage all disease" within this century, they joined a long tradition of tech billionaire philanthropy—ambitious, well-funded, and convinced that massive investment can solve humanity's greatest challenges 1 . Similarly, Bill Gates has poured billions into global health initiatives.
Yet there's a disconnect between these moonshot aspirations and the complex reality of biological systems, whether human diseases or environmental threats.
Meanwhile, on another continent, Australian scientists have been quietly waging a different kind of war—against the European rabbit, an animal that costs the Australian economy approximately $217 million annually in agricultural and environmental damage 7 .
Key Insight: The answer lies not in the nature of the problems, but in the pattern of solutions: Australia's seven-decade battle demonstrates that sustainable solutions require not just initial breakthroughs, but adaptive, evolving strategies that anticipate and counter resistance.
To understand why rabbits demand such scientific attention, consider the staggering impact of this seemingly modest animal. European rabbits, introduced to Australia in 1859, achieved what took 700 years in Britain in less than 70 years, colonizing an area 25 times Britain's size in the fastest recorded mammalian invasion in history 2 .
| Enterprise | Approximate Cost (per rabbit per year) |
|---|---|
| Wool | $1.85 |
| Store Cattle | $2.40 |
| Trading Cattle | $2.85 |
| Stud Cattle | $12.90 |
| Broccoli (per ha) | $9.90 |
| Lettuce (per ha) | $2.35 |
| Lucerne (per ha) | $6.80 |
| Wine Grapes (per ha) | $65.60 |
Source: Adapted from PestSmart 7
Australia's response to the rabbit problem illustrates a fundamental biological principle: evolution doesn't stand still. When scientists introduced the myxoma virus in 1950, it initially reduced rabbit populations by over 90% in some areas 2 . This mirrors the kind of breakthrough success that modern philanthropists might hope for with a single massive investment.
However, this victory was temporary. As rabbit populations developed genetic resistance, and the virus evolved toward lower virulence, the effectiveness gradually declined 2 . The same pattern emerged with the rabbit calicivirus (RHDV) introduced later. This evolutionary dance has continued for decades—a lesson in biological reality that transcends specific species.
"We have previously observed that the effectiveness of rabbit biocontrols starts to wane after approximately 10-15 years"
— Dr. Tanja Strive, CSIRO's senior principal research scientist 2
Pattern Recognition: This pattern of coevolution between control agents and their targets offers a crucial lesson for medical research: whether combating viruses, bacteria, or cancer cells, single solutions inevitably confront adaptive resistance. The Australian rabbit model demonstrates the necessity of planning not just for initial success, but for successive generations of solutions.
The latest chapter in this ongoing battle comes from an unexpected direction: organoid technology. In 2023, CSIRO researchers achieved something that had eluded scientists for over 40 years—growing rabbit caliciviruses outside living rabbits 2 . This breakthrough represents more than just a technical achievement; it offers a fundamentally new approach to the rabbit control problem.
The research team developed 3D organoid structures derived from rabbit stem cells that mimic actual organs. Recently, they've dramatically improved this system.
"We have now released the cell culture's 'handbrake' that was holding back effective virus production, making it healthy and robust enough to allow for high-level virus replication"
— Dr. Michael Frese, virologist working with CSIRO 2
| Year | Development | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1859 | European rabbits introduced near Geelong | Beginning of invasion |
| 1950 | Myxoma virus released | Initial population reduction up to 90% |
| 1995 | Rabbit calicivirus (RHDV1) released | Further population control |
| 2014-2015 | Exotic RHDV2 arrives in Australia | Renewed suppression |
| 2023 | Organoid system developed for virus growth | First time in 40 years viruses grown outside rabbits |
| 2024-2025 | Enhanced organoid system | Faster testing and reduced animal use |
Source: Adapted from CSIRO 2
This organoid system transforms the research timeline and capacity. Where previously each virus test required infecting many laboratory rabbits—a process that was time-consuming, expensive, and raised ethical concerns—scientists can now conduct initial screening in cell culture plates 2 .
The potential applications extend beyond wild rabbit control. According to Dr. Strive, the technology could help develop vaccines for protected rabbits, advance understanding of virus biology, and create platforms for testing other viral control agents 2 .
The Australian rabbit control story offers three fundamental lessons for well-funded visionaries like Zuckerberg and Gates:
The single most important lesson from Australia's rabbit wars is that biological systems evolve. Whether combating rabbit populations, disease-causing microbes, or cancer cells, solutions that work today will inevitably confront adaptive resistance tomorrow.
Unlike the "magic bullet" approach that tech philanthropy often favors, Australia's success against rabbits has come through cumulative efforts over seven decades.
When Zuckerberg and Chan established their philanthropic initiative as a for-profit limited liability company, they created an entity "legally insulated from disclosure requirements that traditional US philanthropic foundations face" 1 .
The battle between Australian scientists and rabbits might seem distant from the lofty goals of curing human disease. But this very distance makes the lessons more powerful. When we look past the initial headlines and dramatic promises, we find that sustainable solutions to biological challenges—whether rabbits or diseases—require acknowledging complexity, planning for evolution, and committing to the long term.
As tech philanthropists contemplate their next moonshot, they might look to the Australian outback, where scientists have spent decades learning that nature's resilience demands both brilliance and humility. The most effective solutions aren't always the most dramatic—they're the ones that adapt, evolve, and persist.