Walking through a museum it’s easy to imagine what the world was like in the distant past. A completely different environment, with alien ecosystems featuring plants and animals that are now extinct. Imagine what it would be like to coexist with dinosaurs, or to marvel at extinct birds, reptiles, and mammals. Sadly, many species have gone extinct, leaving behind only fossils, footprints, and the occasional DNA sample. The prospect of resurrecting extinct creatures has captured the imagination of scientists for decades, inspiring films, novels, and scientific research. In fact, multiple biotechnology companies are currently researching ways to recreate some of these extinct species. Don’t worry, we are still far from a real version of Jurassic Park! However, Colossal Biosciences, a biotechnology research company, recently revealed their latest creation – the Woolly Mouse!
Created by changing specific genes to produce “mammothlike” traits, the woolly mouse is a proof of concept that the company says it will use for future studies. The genetically modified, or “transgenic” mouse, expresses traits of the extinct woolly mammoth, including long fuzzy hair. To create the mice, scientists made changes to the DNA sequences of standard lab mice. They first explored the DNA sequences of elephant and mammoth genomes, looking for places that were different between the species. This allowed them to identify sequences that were distinct in mammoths, including genes controlling hair length, thickness, and color. Interestingly, these genes are also found in mice. Next, the scientists used gene-editing technologies to make changes in 7 different mouse genes. Together, these modifications resulted in mice with curly whiskers and a woolly coat!
Colossal Biosciences now says that they are continuing to explore ways to revive extinct species. This could include species like the dodo and Tasmanian tiger. In fact, they have plans to create a mammothlike calf from an elephant by the end of 2028. However, not everyone agrees with the companies mission statement. Opponents of the research argue that it is a waste of resources which could be better spent on other scientific research. In addition, the genetic modifications raise ethical concerns about using these technologies to create “cute” designer version of animals. While Colossal Biosciences argues that the cute appearance of the mice is only a fortunate side-effect of the research, similar approaches may one day be used to modify other organisms.
The debate over these transgenic mice is only beginning, with Colossal Biosciences and other companies pushing new boundaries and developing exciting new technologies. To learn more about cutting edge genetic modification, check out our previous blog posts on CRISPR gene editing and the potential for therapeutic gene editing in humans. Or, to try these techniques in your classroom check out Edvotek experiments 331 – Investigating Synthetic Biology and 307- Code Breakers: Using CRISPR to Rewrite Genetics.
The Official Blog of Edvotek® 