{"id":12755,"date":"2024-10-18T16:00:51","date_gmt":"2024-10-18T20:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/?p=12755"},"modified":"2024-10-18T16:15:39","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T20:15:39","slug":"genetic-discovery-tasmanian-tiger-revival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/2024\/10\/genetic-discovery-tasmanian-tiger-revival\/","title":{"rendered":"From Extinction to Resurrection: Groundbreaking Genetic Discovery Brings Tasmanian Tiger Revival Within Reach"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a groundbreaking development, scientists have reconstructed the most complete Tasmanian tiger genome ever assembled, bringing the extinct species, also known as the thylacine, closer to potential revival.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The breakthrough, led by Colossal Biosciences<\/strong><\/a>, involved sequencing DNA from a 110-year-old preserved specimen<\/strong>, offering a nearly complete genetic blueprint of the animal, which went extinct in 1936. This achievement marks a crucial step in the company\u2019s ambitious effort to revive the thylacine through de-extinction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A Remarkable Leap in Genome Reconstruction<\/h2>\n

The nearly complete genome was reconstructed using a pickled head preserved in ethanol<\/strong> for more than a century. The remarkable condition of the specimen allowed scientists to sequence long strands of both DNA<\/strong> <\/a>and RNA<\/strong>. This provided unprecedented insights into how the thylacine functioned, including which genes were active in its various tissues when it was alive. According to Andrew Pask<\/strong>, professor of genetics at the University of Melbourne and a lead researcher on the project, \u201cThe genome provides the full blueprint for de-extincting this species, so having it complete and very high quality is a huge help to these efforts.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The genome consists of 3 billion base pairs<\/strong>, nearly identical in size to the human genome. Despite the progress, 45 small gaps remain in the sequence, which the team aims to close through further genome sequencing<\/strong> in the coming months. Colossal's co-founder and CEO, Ben Lamm<\/strong>, expressed the urgency and dedication of the project, stating, \u201cWe\u2019re pushing as fast as possible to create the science necessary to make extinction a thing of the past.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The genome not only offers hope for reviving the Tasmanian tiger<\/strong> but also represents a significant leap forward in the field of de-extinction science<\/strong>, where similar efforts are being made to resurrect other iconic species like the woolly mammoth<\/strong> and the dodo<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Harnessing Gene Editing for Revival<\/h2>\n

Colossal\u2019s approach to bringing back the thylacine<\/strong> relies heavily on gene editing<\/strong>. The plan involves modifying the genome of the fat-tailed dunnart<\/strong>, the thylacine\u2019s closest living relative, to create a proxy species. The fat-tailed dunnart shares a similar evolutionary history, making it an ideal candidate for genetic manipulation to approximate the Tasmanian tiger's physiology and ecological role.<\/p>\n

Using modern CRISPR gene-editing technology<\/strong>, scientists aim to insert key genetic elements from the Tasmanian tiger into the dunnart\u2019s cells. This approach is similar to the efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth<\/strong> by altering the genome of the Asian elephant<\/strong> to create a cold-resistant proxy species. However, as some critics point out, these proxy species will never be 100% identical to the extinct originals. Ross MacPhee<\/strong>, a mammalogist at the American Museum of Natural History, commented, \u201cEven if it looks and acts like a thylacine, it may never be truly \u2018de-extinct.\u2019\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Grom Genetic Blueprint to Living Marsupial<\/h2>\n

While the near-complete genome is a major step forward, Colossal Biosciences<\/strong> has also achieved several other milestones that bring the dream of reviving the thylacine closer to reality. A critical breakthrough in artificial reproductive technologies (ART)<\/strong> has enabled scientists to successfully trigger ovulation in the fat-tailed dunnart<\/strong>, allowing for multiple eggs to be harvested at once. These eggs will eventually serve as the hosts for genetically edited cells containing the Tasmanian tiger's genome.<\/p>\n

In addition to the ovulation breakthrough, the team has developed an artificial uterus<\/strong> capable of sustaining marsupial embryos from conception to mid-gestation. According to Andrew Pask<\/strong>, the development of ART for marsupials represents a significant advance not only for de-extinction but also for captive breeding programs<\/strong> aimed at protecting endangered species. \u201cThese are all huge breakthroughs,\u201d<\/strong> Pask said. \u201cThe development of ART for marsupials has major implications for captive breeding for endangered marsupials \u2014 but is also paving the way for us to create a living thylacine once we have the edited cells.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

A thrilling Yet Controversial Scientific Frontier<\/h2>\n

Despite the excitement surrounding the potential revival of the Tasmanian tiger<\/strong>, de-extinction remains a highly controversial field. Critics argue that efforts to bring back extinct species could have unintended consequences, both ethically and ecologically. For example, while the reintroduction of a thylacine proxy species<\/strong> could restore balance to Tasmania\u2019s ecosystem, it could also upset the modern ecological dynamics that have evolved in the absence of large predators.<\/p>\n

Additionally, there are concerns about the financial and scientific resources being devoted to de-extinction<\/strong>. Some argue that the money spent on these efforts could be better used to protect endangered species that are still alive today. A member of Colossal\u2019s advisory board, who previously worked on de-extinction research, said, \u201cThe money it would take to do the best job possible could be spent on better things, like conserving living species.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Colossal remains committed to pushing the boundaries of science. As Lamm stated, \u201cThe science is advancing so rapidly, and we\u2019re getting closer every day to making extinction a thing of the past.\u201d<\/strong> With ongoing research and new technological breakthroughs, the dream of bringing the Tasmanian tiger<\/strong> back to life may soon become a reality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scientists at Colossal Biosciences have pieced together 99.9% of the Tasmanian tiger genome, using a 110-year-old preserved specimen. With only a few genetic gaps remaining, this achievement marks a significant…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12756,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,137],"tags":[305],"class_list":["post-12755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-science","tag-tasmanian-tiger"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12755"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12755"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12758,"href":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12755\/revisions\/12758"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}