Harvard University geneticists have successfully inserted 14 Woolly Mmmoth genes in the DNA of an Asian Elephant. This has brought them closer to creating a live clone. George Church (a Harvard University professor of genetics), and his colleagues analysed mammoth DNA taken from exceptionally preserved specimens located on Wrangel Island, Arctic Ocean between the Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea. They were able to replicate exactly 14 mammoth genetics from these specimens. The mammoth genetics were then incorporated into the genome of an Asian elephant, which functioned just like normal DNA. With the introduction of the Woolly Mammoth, the tundra ecosystem may be rehabilitated. Image: Mammoth island. The CRISPR technique (clustered consistently interspaced, short palindromic repetition) was used by the research team. This modern technology allows them to edit DNA precisely. Take out the DNA from modern elephants and substitute it with that of a mammal. Professor Church stated in an interview with Sunday Times that genes related to cold resistance were prioritized, including haemoglobin, hairiness and subcutaneous fat. “We now have elephant cells that are functioning with mammoth-DNA in them.” The modern Asian elephants are more closely related than the African elephants to Woolly mammoths. Both share an ancestor 2.5 million- to 5 million year ago. Nearly all mammoths died out during the Ice Age. Fortunately, a few mammoths survived the last 3 ,300 year on Wrangel Island. Three competing teams of scientists currently race to rebuild a complete mammoth genetic sequence. Real mammoths may be possible to recreate once this is done, according to the theory. George Church, Professor of Genetics and Director at PersonalGenomes.org is Harvard Medical School. Image: Harvard Medical School. A new book on the science of deextinction has been published by Beth Shapiro (ecologist, evolutionary biologist, and University of California Santa Cruz). Professor Shapiro discusses how scientists can help extinct species such as passenger pigeons or mammoths to make a comeback. Professor Shapiro, a well-known DNA researcher and pioneer, guides the reader through de-extinction. The process of creating an organism that is either an extinct species or closely resembles it, called de-extinction or species revivalism or resurrection biology, is also known as species revivalism or species recovery. Princeton University Press says Prof. Shapiro has written a new book that covers many fascinating aspects of deextinction. “From choosing which species to restore, sequencing their genomes to anticipating how revivals might be monitored in the wild,” Shapiro writes. The book also addresses the ethics and practical advantages of extinct species being revived. Professor Shapiro thinks that ecosystems currently struggling because of the loss of key species can be revived and stabilized by bringing back those species. She explains that elephants with modified genes to express mammoth traits can expand to Arctic and reestablish lost productivity in the tundra ecosystem. The creation of a mammoth using the Asian elephant Prof. Church explained in a lecture 2014, that while the Woolly mammoth is closely related to the Asian elephant, there are important differences. One being their tolerance for cold. To improve the ability of Asian elephants to live in Arctic environments, several factors would have to be modified, including a thicker layer of fat and double fur, as well as reducing their ear sizes to reduce heat loss. Video: Prof. Shapiro discusses de-extinction
