Scientists Make Progress in Engineering Woolly Mammoth Hybrid
A groundbreaking project to genetically engineer a woolly mammoth hybrid is making significant progress, according to the scientists involved. The ambitious long-term goal of the project is to create a living, walking elephant-mammoth hybrid that closely resembles its extinct ancestor. If successfully reintroduced into its natural habitat in sufficient numbers, this hybrid could potentially play a crucial role in restoring the fragile Arctic tundra ecosystem.
The project to resurrect the woolly mammoth has been a passion project for Harvard University geneticist George Church for over a decade. In February 2021, Church co-founded Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotechnology company, with entrepreneur Ben Lamm. The company received substantial funding and garnered significant attention later that year.
While there are still many challenges to overcome, such as developing an artificial womb capable of gestating a baby elephant, Colossal Biosciences announced a major breakthrough. The team successfully reprogrammed cells from an Asian elephant, the closest living relative of the mammoth, into an embryonic state. This marks the first time that stem cells have been derived from elephant cells. The team plans to publish their work in a scientific journal once it undergoes peer review.
These modified cells, known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), can be further manipulated in the lab to grow into any type of elephant cell. This is a crucial tool as researchers work on modeling, testing, and refining the numerous genetic changes required to give an Asian elephant the traits necessary for survival in the Arctic. These traits include a woolly coat, insulating fat, and smaller ears.
Eriona Hysolli, Colossal’s head of biological sciences, explained the significance of these stem cells, stating, “What’s beautiful about the cells is they can potentially renew indefinitely and differentiate into any cell type of the body.” These stem cells also provide conservation scientists with a unique opportunity to study the Asian elephant’s biology, particularly its resistance to cancer, which is not well understood. In order to create the elephant cell lines, the team had to inhibit genes that are thought to confer this cancer resistance.
Oliver Ryder, director of conservation genetics at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, praised Colossal’s research techniques for their potential in saving endangered elephants. He believes that the impact on conservation will primarily be in the realm of genetic rescue and assisted reproduction. The stem cells will allow scientists to create model elephant embryos, providing valuable insights into the development process.
The elephant stem cells also hold the key to the mammoth’s rebirth. Once genetically edited to possess mammoth-like traits, these cells can be used to create eggs, sperm, and embryos that could be implanted into an artificial womb. However, this process will require years of work. Initially, the team plans to use existing cloning techniques similar to those used in the creation of Dolly the sheep in 1996. Genetically edited cells will be inserted into a donor egg, which will then be gestated by a surrogate elephant mother. However, the success rate of this technique is unpredictable, raising ethical concerns about using endangered animals as surrogates.
George Church outlined the milestones for the project, stating, “I think the first engineered elephant will be the major milestone… The second thing that will make us happy is we have one that’s really cold resistant. Then the third one will be if we can do it in a way that’s scalable, that doesn’t involve surrogates.” Church believes that the first milestone could be achieved within six years from 2021.
The research team at Colossal has already analyzed the genomes of 53 woolly mammoths using ancient DNA recovered from fossils. This extensive analysis has helped them understand the specific genes that distinguish a mammoth from other species. The team aims to make numerous genetic changes to Asian elephant DNA to create a creature that closely resembles a mammoth and can withstand Arctic temperatures. They also plan to engineer a mammoth without tusks to protect the animals from poaching.
Colossal has long claimed that reintroducing mammoths to the grasslands in the northernmost regions of the planet could help slow down permafrost thaw. Some scientists believe that before their extinction, mammoths, horses, and bison played a crucial role in maintaining frozen ground by trampling down grass, knocking down trees, and compacting snow. However, experts have questioned whether herds of cold-adapted elephants could have a significant impact on a region that is warming faster than anywhere else in the world.
In addition to their work on the mammoth, Colossal has announced plans to resurrect the Tasmanian tiger in 2022 and the dodo in 2023. However, their research on the mammoth has been ongoing for the longest period of time. The progress made by Colossal Biosciences brings us one step closer to witnessing the revival of an extinct species and potentially restoring a