Colossal BioSciences genetically engineers mouse with warm coat taken from woolly mammoth’s genes

Fresh from raising $200 million, Colossal Biosciences announced it has genetically engineered the Colossal Woolly Mouse, with a warm coat taken from the genes of the extinct woolly mammoth. Dallas and Boston-based Colossal Biosciences is has engineered key mammoth-like traits into the mice so they can adapt to life in cold climates. This means the company is making strides in the scientific breakthroughs toward “de-extinction,” or bringing back extinct species like the woolly mammoth, thylacine and the dodo. By successfully modifying seven genes simultaneously, Colossal’s team created mice with dramatically altered coat color, texture, and thickness reminiscent of the woolly mammoth’s core phenotypes. This achievement demonstrates the feasibility of expressing traits using information learned from the computational analysis of 59 woolly, Columbian, and steppe mammoth genomes ranging from 3,500 to over 1,200,000 years old confirming these pathways as the crucial targets for mammoth de ... Read full article.