The fluffy mouse makes its debut to the world.

The American biotechnology company Colossal has successfully created a furry mouse, marking a significant step forward in efforts to revive the extinct mammoth.

Fluffy mouse

Photo: Colossal Biosciences

Mammoths once lived on the icy plains of Europe, Asia, and North America until their extinction around 4,000 years ago.

In 2021, biotechnology company Colossal announced ambitious plans to revive mammoths and then dodo birds. Since then, the company has focused on identifying key characteristics of the subjects by studying ancient DNA, with the goal of creating living individuals genetically modified to resemble the target, according to AP on March 5, citing CEO Ben Lamm.

In a recent announcement, Colossal stated that its team of scientists had genetically modified mouse embryos to create mice with long, thick, and curly fur. They nicknamed them "Colossil fluffy mice."

Colossal scientists reviewed genetic databases of mice to identify gene groups associated with fur quality and fat metabolism.

They selected these two traits because the genetic variations in this group are related to cold tolerance, a characteristic that allowed mammoths to survive in the icy environment of the Arctic in prehistoric times.

Colossal said they chose to experiment on mice first to determine the procedure before moving on to gene editing of Asian elephant fetuses, the closest living relatives of mammoths.

Will woolly mammoths be resurrected?

However, since Asian elephants are also on the endangered species list, Director-General Lamm acknowledged that many other processes and challenges would need to be overcome before the plan could be implemented.

Colossal has raised over $400 million for its mammoth revival efforts.

Following this achievement, biologist Vincent Lynch of the University of Buffalo (USA), who was not a member of the team, praised the technical aspects of the research. According to him, new techniques like CRISPR allow for more efficient and easier gene editing in mice.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chuot-long-xu-trinh-dien-the-gioi-185250306093343857.htm