If you didn’t know there was an industry attempting de-extinction, now you do. Colossal Biosciences is one of the largest companies working, and they recently announced a breakthrough in stem cell research, which brings them closer to their major goal, of bringing the woolly mammoth back to life.
Able to turn induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from engineered elephant cells into an embryonic state, the team at Colossal are making big strides towards their ambitious goals of bringing the first woolly mammoth babies into the world by the year 2028.
It’s a hugely difficult and controversial project, and one that we find fascinating for a number of reasons. What’s your take? Is de-extinction an exciting step, or a possibly dangerous one?
Read more about the complex process on Colossal’s website.
The mammoth lived during the ice age, and died out over 4,000 years ago.
An artist’s impression of induced pluripotent stem cells.Illustration: Alpha Tauri 3D Graphics
Colossal Biosciences has a long list of species it wants to bring back to life, including the Dodo bird, and the Thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian Tiger.
An Asian elephant stem cell line stained in different colors to highlight different elements. Courtesy Colossal
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