The idea of bringing extinct species back to life sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. But researchers at Colossal Biosciences are committed to doing it.
Using high-tech genetic engineering, they aim to bring back distinguishing features of extinct animals such as the woolly mammoth—while not actually bringing the species itself back to life.
Genetic Engineering Seeks to Re-Copy Extinct Features
Woolly Mammoths Coming Back? Scientists Create Woolly Mice in De-Extinction
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The woolly mammoth had inhabited Europe, Asia, and North America before its extinction 4,000 years ago. Colossal Biosciences has been making headlines since 2021 with its vision of bringing back the woolly mammoth and other extinct species, such as the dodo bird and the Tasmanian tiger.
Rather than complete de-extinction, the company concentrates on discovering the most important genetic characteristics of these extinct animals, CBS News reports.
As per CEO Ben Lamm, what they do is incorporate those characteristics into living creatures using genetic modification. That way, they can copy things such as dense fur, cold adaptation, and body size without recreating an exact replica of the extinct creature.
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The First Success: The ‘Colossal Woolly Mouse’
In a historic experiment, Colossal Biosciences recently reported successfully editing the genes of mice embryos to produce a mouse with coarse, woolly fur. Dubbed the “Colossal Woolly Mouse,” this experiment saw seven genes edited at once to bring about fur and fat metabolism characteristics akin to a woolly mammoth.
Although the findings were made public online, they have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal or vetted by outside scientists. However, scientists do recognize that the method itself is remarkable. Vincent Lynch, a biologist at the University of Buffalo, pointed out that although scientists have been gene-editing mice for decades, new tools such as CRISPR have perfected the process by making it more efficient and accurate.
The Next Step: Editing Asian Elephant DNA
Colossal aims to use this gene-editing method for Asian elephants, the mammoth’s closest living relatives. By providing such elephants with characteristics such as dense fur and increased cold hardiness, the objective is to develop a species closely akin to a mammoth.
Nonetheless, the procedure encounters regulatory and ethical challenges. Because Asian elephants are already an endangered species, Colossal’s activities have to clear stringent legal and scientific assessments before proceeding. The firm has raised more than $400 million in funding to carry out its mission, yet numerous experts question its legitimacy.
Experts Question the Ethics of ‘De-Extinction’
Although the project has drawn much attention, some scientists counter that altering an Asian elephant does not equate to reviving a woolly mammoth.
Christopher Preston, a wildlife and environmental scientist at the University of Montana, points out that the method does not bring back an extinct species—it merely changes an existing one.
Despite all these criticisms, Colossal maintains that its research may have a wider potential. For instance, precision gene editing might be utilized in conservation practices to enable endangered species to adapt to the changing environment. It might also transform animal agriculture by enhancing livestock traits for enhanced survival and sustainability.
Could Genetic Engineering Cure Human Diseases?
Beyond conservation, Colossal believes its genetic engineering advancements could benefit human health. The company has already launched two health-related spinoffs focused on applying genetic discoveries to medicine. CEO Ben Lamm suggests that studying elephants’ genes could even help unlock cancer treatments.
“I mean, elephants don’t get cancer, which is very strange,” Lamm explained. “Elephants have thousands and thousands of more cells than us. And why they don’t get cancer is in their genes. If we can figure that out, we can use this genetic engineering to solve cancer.”
The activities of Colossal Biosciences won’t make extinct species be recreated in precisely the same state they were previously, but its endeavors are restructuring the limits of technology and science.
For purposes of conservation, medicine, and even agriculture, precision genetic engineering is becoming increasingly strong. So far, it’s still a big question of how far scientists really need to proceed with modifying nature.
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