The science behind ‘de-extinction’
Imagine walking through the tundra and spotting a creature that vanished thousands of years ago. This is not just science fiction anymore. Thanks to advancements in biotechnology, scientists are now working to bring back lost species in a process called de-extinction.
But how exactly does it happen?
At the heart of de-extinction is genome editing — a powerful set of tools that lets scientists tweak DNA like an editor revising a draft. The process starts with collecting DNA from a close living relative of the extinct animal, such as Grey Wolves for the Dire Wolves, or Asian Elephant for the Woolly Mammoth. This sample provides a base genome.
The next step is to gather whatever remains of the extinct species — sometimes it is a frozen carcass, sometimes just a bone. From that, researchers extract fragments of ancient DNA. These fragments are then compared to the base genome to pinpoint the differences that made the extinct species unique, such as thick fur or cold-resistant blood.
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Once these traits are identified, scientists use CRISPR — often described as "genetic scissors" — to edit the living species' DNA, adding in the key traits of the extinct one. The modified cells are then turned into embryos using a method called somatic cell nuclear transfer. Think of it as swapping the control centre of one cell with another.
The final steps involve implanting the edited embryo into a surrogate mother or growing it in an artificial womb. If successful, the result is a living animal that carries many traits of the extinct species — though it is not a perfect replica.
While the spotlight often shines on animals like the Mammoth, the real story lies in the meticulous, step-by-step science. And it is this quiet, careful work that is slowly turning extinction from a permanent sentence into something more reversible.
