The Creation of Wooly Mice
It is a fascinating world we are living in right now as Scientists have finally created Woolly mice with traits straight from the extinct woolly mammoth. But how they did it is something spectacular. Turns out they used this clever tool called CRISPR-Cas9. Think of it like an editing app, but for DNA. It can find, cut, replace, delete, and even insert entire genetic instructions.
Scientists first found the exact mammoth genes responsible for its woolly fur. Then they created something called a guide RNA, kind of like a GPS for DNA, to locate those exact sequences in the mouse genome. Next, they used Cas9, created an opening, and inserted the original mammoth genes.
So what was the result?
Within weeks of injecting this edited DNA into mouse embryos, 38 woolly-haired mice were born, completely replacing the mouse genes with mammoth ones. But this isn't just about mice or the woolly mammoth.
It's proof that de-extinction could actually be possible. In fact, Colossal Biosciences plans to revive the woolly mammoth by 2028.
At this rate, we have to ask, is de-extinction a scientific miracle or something we might regret later?
