🦣 Scientists Are Resurrecting Mammoths, Tasmanian Tigers, and Dodos
The most valuable startup in Texas, Colossal Biosciences, a project dedicated to bringing extinct species back to life, has raised $200 million in a new funding round. The company's valuation has now reached $10.2 billion. The company's investors include major investment funds IQT and At One Ventures, as well as Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and actress Paris Hilton.
Founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Ben Lamm and Harvard geneticist George Church, Colossal aims not just to "revive" extinct animals but to restore disrupted ecosystems.
🧬 How Will They Resurrect the Mammoth?
Scientists have fully decoded the woolly mammoth's genome, which went extinct 4,000 years ago, using samples preserved in permafrost. Its DNA is 99.6% identical to its closest living relative, the Indian elephant.
Researchers use CRISPR gene-editing technology to insert mammoth-specific genes into elephant DNA. These genes code for key mammoth traits, such as thick fur, fat layers, tusks, and cold resistance. The genetically modified embryo is then implanted into a surrogate female elephant.
The born mammoths are expected to be relocated to specially designated reserves, such as the Pleistocene Park in Siberia.
Colossal also aims to bring back the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) and the dodo bird using similar methods.
❔ The Ambiguity of De-Extinction
Supporters of de-extinction—reviving extinct species using modern technologies—view it as a revolutionary step forward. "De-extinction is a process that allows us to actively create a future that is really better than today, not just one that is less bad than what we anticipate," assures molecular paleobiologist Beth Shapiro, author of How to Clone a Mammoth. (In the video above: an excerpt from her talk ⤴️)
Critics call it an expensive experiment with questionable efficacy: the recreated species may struggle to survive in environments that have changed over hundreds or even thousands of years. Meanwhile, the resources spent on these efforts could instead help protect animals currently on the brink of extinction. Ethical concerns also arise from the use of living animals as surrogate mothers for these projects.
🔬 Real Prospects
Colossal aims to deliver its first tangible results by 2028. Moreover, its technologies could have medical applications, such as addressing infertility. Beyond just the concept of a prehistoric zoo, this potential likely explains the strong investor interest in the startup.
Do you think mammoths should be resurrected?
❤️ — Yes, it's incredibly fascinating!
🙈 — No, we should spend this money on other projects
