The Woolly Mouse and The Future of De-Extinction

Image: Andrew Nelmerm/Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley

Texas-based Colossal Biosciences has taken a major step in its mission to resurrect extinct species, successfully engineering a "woolly mouse" with mammoth-like traits. This genetically edited mouse has a thicker, frizzier coat and other cold-adapted features, bringing scientists one step closer to recreating lost species like the woolly mammoth.

Through advanced gene-editing techniques, Colossal scientists used CRISPR/Cas9 to introduce seven genetic changes in mice, mimicking adaptations found in mammoths. The result? A living model that demonstrates how modern biotechnology can revive traits long lost to extinction.

While this breakthrough is an exciting milestone, some experts remain cautious. Deputy Director of the Environment Institute Associate Professor Damien Fordham, called the research a “fascinating scientific breakthrough”, highlighting its potential not just for de-extinction but also for rescuing endangered species by enhancing their resilience to environmental changes. "The technology could potentially rescue living species from extinction through engineering of their phenotypes. For example, it could be used to reestablish warm tolerant traits lost in dwindling populations of species who are at risk of extinction from human-driven climate change." says Professor Fordham. However, other scientists warn that full de-extinction remains a distant goal, requiring thousands of genetic edits and complex reproductive biology.

Colossal’s ambitious vision includes bringing back the woolly mammoth, thylacine, and dodo, with the first woolly mammoth calves expected as early as 2028. While the final result may not be a true mammoth, but rather a genetically edited Asian elephant, the company argues that restoring these creatures—or their closest genetic proxies—could help revive ecosystems and combat biodiversity loss.

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• Jerusalem Post
• Life + Lab Scientist
• Forbes