back to mammoth For nature, a species that disappeared ten thousand years ago from the face of the earth, is an ambitious plan enormous. It is a company co-founded by Ben Lam, a technology and software entrepreneur, and George Church, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School. In September, the company received an additional injection of $15 million to launch the project.
Scientists involved in the research seek to benefit from Genetic Engineering to revive Mammut Extinction through CRISPR, which may mean demonstrating abilities Genetic Engineering To conserve extinct or endangered species.
genome Mammut It was fully sequenced in 2015 and related developments have continued to emerge since then, with DNA relatively well preserved compared to other animals.
The Genetic EngineeringHow revolutionary has it been in recent years, Allows modification of an organism’s genome Extracting bits of DNA and then inserting them elsewhere. From this idea, a piece of mammoth DNA could be extracted and inserted into elephants. The researchers hope the result will be a hybrid between the two species with enough capabilities to survive in environments such as the Arctic.
In the first stage, scientists set their sights on creating this hybrid between elephant and Mammut. The starting point of the project is to take cells from the skin of endangered Asian elephants and reprogram them into multi-use stem cells that carry DNA from Mammut (The genes responsible for adapting to cold weather). These embryos are then injected into a surrogate mother or an artificial uterus.
“Our goal is to make the elephant resistant to cold, but it will look and act like a Mammut. We want something functionally equivalent MammutHave fun in -40°C and do all the things that elephants do and mammothespecially the felling of trees, Church explained in the British newspaper The Guardian.
If all goes according to plan, Colossal hopes to achieve its first elephant-mammoth hybrid in six years.
Colossal says on their website that extinction is a problem facing the world and that they are going to solve it. “By combining genetics with exploratory work, we strive to enhance the ancient impulses of nature. See Mammut Mystic thunder over the tundra again. Promoting the economics of biology and healing through genetics. To make humanity more humane. And to alert the lost nature of the earth. So that we and our planet can breathe better, “Colossal presents his project”from extinction“.
Scientists involved in the project believe that the introduction of herds of hybrid elephants and Mammut The Arctic can help restore degraded habitats and combat some of the effects of climate change.
Moreover , Genetic Engineering It could be used in the future to stabilize a threatened species that is not yet extinct. By editing the DNA, it will be possible to introduce better properties to certain species that will help them survive and adapt to the living conditions of their environment. So far, Colossal has raised $15 million to do just that, and a few years of research into the future.
On the other hand, the news raised the alarm among many people on social media who reject this investigation, and the film reminds them of them. Jurassic Park As an example of why it is not appropriate to revive dead animals.
There is no doubt that the human race at a moment of impressive scientific progress will require debate in a few years: if transhumanism is adopted to continue covering and solving problems climate change that affect the planet and that man himself created it from his habits, or embrace nature and modify our habits harmful to the environment that learn from nature to completely dissolve climate crisis.
Grace Montgomery writes for News Collective, covering news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on clear, reliable reporting and useful information, helping readers stay informed about current events, emerging trends, and stories that matter.