The Woolly Mouse: A Step Towards De-Extinction

Woolly mice are engineered as a crucial step in the quest for de-extinction, particularly towards reviving the woolly mammoth. Scientists at Colossal Biosciences utilize genetic engineering to insert mammoth traits into Asian elephants, their closest living relatives, aiming to recreate key characteristics like a thick coat and specialized fat metabolism. The research involves comparing ancient mammoth DNA with elephant genomes to identify candidate genes responsible for these traits, specifically narrowing down to ten genes that affect fur length and color. By using mice as a model organism, researchers can rapidly test these genetic hypotheses, leading to successful modifications that produced mice with significantly longer and differently colored coats resembling those of mammoths.