Scientists at Colossal Biosciences have created genetically engineered mice with mammoth-like traits, marking a significant step toward the company’s ambitious goal of “de-extinction” of the woolly mammoth, the company announced Friday.
The “Colossal Woolly Mouse” exhibits multiple traits similar to those that once helped mammoths survive frigid environments, including dramatically altered coat color, texture and thickness. The mice resulted from simultaneous modification of seven genes in a single genome-editing process.
“The Colossal Woolly Mouse marks a watershed moment in our de-extinction mission,” said Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences. “By engineering multiple cold-tolerant traits from mammoth evolutionary pathways into a living model species, we’ve proven our ability to recreate complex genetic combinations.”
The company’s mammoth team identified key genes that impact hair and cold-adaptation traits through analyzing 121 mammoth and elephant genomes. Researchers then used a combination of gene-editing technologies to make eight edits simultaneously across seven genes.
The resulting mice display mammoth-like features including longer hair — up to three times the length of normal mice — woolly hair texture, wavy coats and golden coloration instead of the typical black or brown. The mice also carry modifications to genes involved in lipid metabolism, similar to those found in mammoths.
Dr. Beth Shapiro, chief science officer at Colossal, called the achievement “an important step toward validating our approach to resurrecting traits that have been lost to extinction.”
The genetic engineering breakthrough has implications beyond the laboratory, serving as a model for studying cold-climate adaptations in mammals and demonstrating how multiple genes work together to create physical traits.
Colossal Biosciences was founded by Lamm and Harvard geneticist George Church with the goal of using CRISPR gene-editing technology for species de-extinction. The company aims to resurrect extinct species like the woolly mammoth and thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) by recreating their genetics in living related species.
Lamm and actor Joe Manganiello will discuss the implications of the Woolly Mouse project at the SXSW conference in Austin on Sunday.
