EP 221: How to build a woolly mammoth: Ancient DNA and de-extinction with Beth Shapiro of Colossal Biosciences

This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer at Colossal Biosciences. They discuss her path into ancient DNA and evolutionary genetics, how advances in genome engineering are reshaping de-extinction and conservation science, and why restoring lost ecological functions could transform the future of biodiversity.

Show Notes: 

0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast

00:59 Welcome to Beth

01:43 Beth’s path from journalism to ancient DNA research

04:46 Beth’s first project on American bison and near extinction

08:26 How Beth worked on a dodo sample at Oxford and what ancient DNA could reveal

11:09 How de-extinction entered the field and why resurrecting species became a scientific goal

14:54 Why de-extinction efforts could strengthen ecosystems and accelerate species conservation

18:33 How cloning a mammoth works and why genome engineering replaces traditional cloning

25:05 Understanding the genome of a woolly mammoth

28:06 What functional de-extinction means in practice

30:55 Genetic clues behind the woolly mammoth’s coat

33:25 The technical hurdles behind de-extinction

38:23 Building a stepwise path to de-extinction through near-term conservation tools

39:36 Ethics risk management and working with local and Indigenous communities in de-extinction projects

44:59 Scientific and technological breakthroughs needed over the next decade to make de-extinction and biodiversity preservation viable

49:20 Closing remarks

Find out more:

Colossal Biosciences (https://colossal.com/)

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