Mammoths are believed to have become extinct around 4,000 years ago due to climate change and hunting by humans. However, mammoth carcasses have been found preserved under a layer of permafrost in Siberia. Colossal Biosciences is among the companies that want to bring back the extinct elephant species and this week they are showing how they will do it.
A pair of furry mice resembling mammoths have been successfully produced by Colossal Biosciences using the CRISPR editing technique. Laboratory mouse embryos were edited with 7 mammoth genes before being inserted into a female mouse. The result is mice that have a genetic combination of mice and mammoths.
According to Colossal Biosciences, the same technique will be used to reproduce mammoths using Asian elephant embryos as early as 2028. In addition to mammoths, Colossal Biosciences also wants to bring back the Tasmanian tiger and the dodo bird.