Colossal Biosciences has taken a massive step forward in its quest to revive the woolly mammoth by creating a genetically engineered woolly mouse. The new offshoot of the species looks just like any other mouse but has long, thick, and woolly hair—just like the ancient woolly mammoth that once roamed the Earth.
Colossal says that its scientists have edited seven genes in mouse embryos so far, allowing for the creation of this new, long-haired mouse. The results have been shared online, along with photos in Time’s report, but they haven’t been peer-reviewed or published in any independent journals.
Of course, the creation of the woolly mouse is extremely inspiring—and cool to boot. However, it is still a far cry from completing the work that Colossal has set out to do—which is to bring back the woolly mammoth. The company says that the genetic variations in the new woolly mouse are already present in some living mice.
However, this is the first time they’ve all been combined into a single mouse. Colossal says it focused on the mice first to prove that its process works before moving on to editing the embryos of Asian elephants, the closest living relative to woolly mammoths.
This is because Asian elephants are endangered species, so there are a lot of processes to go through and some “red tape” before they can really move forward with their plans. But, with the successful creation of the woolly mouse, perhaps it might be easier to cut through some of that tape.
Not everyone is sold on the idea of de-extinction, though, especially since the game plan at the moment seems to mostly be changing up some of the genes within the Asian elephant. Only time will tell just how much this de-extinction plan works out. But, at least the woolly mouse has given the company a headstart on its plans.
