It has been over 4,000 years since the woolly mammoth last roamed the Earth. However, these extinct giants may not be gone forever. Humanity is now one step closer to witnessing a living woolly mammoth. This announcement comes from the biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences, which is dedicated to resurrecting extinct species. The startup plans to invest $15 million in this revolutionary project.
How Mammoths Will Be Revived
Researchers have made a significant breakthrough that could see woolly mammoths brought back to life by around 2028. Scientists have developed a method for creating pluripotent stem cells from elephants, which can transform into any type of cell in an organism. This discovery is a major milestone for the resurrection of extinct species, as reported by the Daily Mail. Dr. George Church from Harvard Medical School, co-founder and leading geneticist at Colossal Biosciences, explained that these cells are the key to reviving the mammoth.
According to Eriona Hisol, head of biological sciences at Colossal Biosciences, creating pluripotent stem cells was no easy task. She shared that it took years to develop the method for obtaining these cells. To transition from pluripotent cells to a living mammoth, scientists plan to edit them using genes extracted from the fossilized remains of woolly mammoths. This unique biotechnology will enable researchers to produce an egg cell that can be fertilized and grown in an artificial womb. Ultimately, the team aims to create a special hybrid that will possess key characteristics of the mammoth, including a thick layer of fat, a dome-shaped skull, and long fur. The revived species will be adapted to withstand cold climates.
Researchers hope that in the future, mammoths will help restore Arctic ecosystems damaged by the climate crisis. Currently, they are testing cold-resistance genes on elephants and working on cultivating egg cells and sperm for conservation and study. Colossal Biosciences also plans to bring the Tasmanian tiger and the dodo bird back to life.