The US biotechnology company Colossal has successfully created a fuzzy mouse, marking an important step forward in efforts to revive the extinct mammoth.
Furry Mouse
Photo: Colossal Biosciences
Woolly mammoths lived on the icy plains of Europe, Asia and North America until they became extinct about 4,000 years ago.
Biotech firm Colossal announced ambitious plans in 2021 to resurrect the mammoth and then the dodo. Since then, the company has focused on identifying key traits of its targets by studying ancient DNA, with the goal of creating living individuals with their genes, according to AP on March 5, citing CEO Ben Lamm.
In a new announcement, Colossal said its team of scientists had genetically modified mouse embryos to create mice with long, bushy, curly hair. They nicknamed them "Colossal hairy mice."
Colossal scientists combed through mouse genetic databases to identify a group of genes linked to hair quality and fat metabolism.
They chose these two traits because the genetic variations in this group are linked to cold tolerance, a trait that allowed mammoths to survive in the frigid Arctic environment in prehistoric times.
Colossal said it chose to experiment on mice first to determine the procedure before moving on to editing the genes of Asian elephant fetuses, the closest living relative of the mammoth.
Will the woolly mammoth be revived?
However, with the Asian elephant also listed as endangered, Director General Lamm admitted that there would be many other processes and challenges to overcome before the plan could move forward.
Colossal has raised more than $400 million for its efforts to revive the mammoth.
Biologist Vincent Lynch of the University of Buffalo (USA), who is not a member of the team, appreciated the technical aspect of the research. According to him, new techniques such as CRISPR allow gene editing in mice to be more efficient and easier.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chuot-long-xu-trinh-dien-the-gioi-185250306093343857.htm
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