![]() Gene editing technology such as CRISPR is already being used to correct genetic mutations found in diseases. Gene editing and biotech advances used for de-extinction "will inevitably have utility in the human healthcare field," Lamm said. What other benefits might Colossal's research yield? Colossal also announced $150 million in investments, boosting to $225 million its funding since the company's September 2021 debut. "These embryos will be implanted into healthy female elephant surrogates with our first calves expected in 5 years," accounting for the 22-month gestation period, Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal, told USA TODAY.Ī similar process is being used with the Tasmanian tiger's genome and similar mammal DNA to bring back that predator – exterminated in the early 20th century – to the island off the southeast tip of Australia.Ĭolossal is creating an Avian Genomics Group to bring back the dodo and, eventually, other extinct bird species "through genetic rescue techniques and its de-extinction toolkit," the company said in its announcement. "I particularly look forward to furthering genetic rescue tools focused on birds and avian conservation.” How are scientists trying to bring back extinct species like the woolly mammoth?Ĭolossal's biotech and genetic engineering teams are combining woolly mammoth and elephant DNA to recreate a next-generation mammoth capable of surviving in the Arctic and helping restore that ecosystem. "I am thrilled to collaborate with Colossal and the people of Mauritius on the de-extinction and eventual re-wilding of the dodo," she said. Shapiro, a professor at the University of California-Santa Cruz, led a group that announced in March 2022 it had sequenced the dodo genome. “The dodo is a prime example of a species that became extinct because we – people – made it impossible for them to survive in their native habitat," said Beth Shapiro, lead paleogeneticist and a member of Colossal's scientific advisory board, in the announcement. Pigs and other animals brought to the island ate dodo eggs. The birds, which were larger than turkeys, were killed for food, the site says. ![]() Portuguese sailors discovered the dodo on the island of Mauritius, which is off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, more than five centuries ago. ![]() The last dodo was killed in 1681, according to. ![]()
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