Wrapped up in that potential is the ability to bring extinct species back from the dead. As CRISPR allows scientists to splice individual genes that program for specific characteristics into the genome of living species, it could be used to create new, hybrid animals that exhibit at least some of the physical and behavioral traits of their extinct brethren.
One such species that has been brought into the CRISPR spotlight in recent years is the woolly mammoth. The Woolly Mammoth Project is one of several ambitious plans under the direction of Revive & Restore, a California-based non-profit organization co-founded by the long-time environmentalist Stewart Brand, with the goal of enriching biodiversity by genetically rescuing endangered and extinct species. How exactly might scientists achieve it in the case of the mammoth?
“First, you need to sequence a prehistoric mammoth,” explained journalist Ben Mezrich in a 2017 interview with National Geographic. Source: Interesting Engineering
Jurassic Park Coming Soon? Scientists Are Trying to Revive Woolly Mammoths With CRISPR
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