Genes rewind, Extinction unwind!

Bioengineering techniques have advanced to the point where they can manipulate an organism's genetics. Recent projects include attempts at Asian elephants being genetically engineered to resemble wooly mammoths as part of recent endeavors to revive life. It has a significant effect on rehabilitating environments for isolating and absorbing carbon. 

 

Scientists have involved various methods including cloning, genetic engineering, and selective breeding/back breeding. But one of the prominent methods is to extract DNA from preserved specimens like frozen tissue, or fossils. 

 

Back-breeding - Scientists have been using this process to restore extinct life with diluted or lost animal traits. It is a selective breeding approach where organisms are made to mate with closely related species. But it cannot produce genetically similar versions. The Quagga (subspecies of plain zebra) is one such example of incomplete breeding resulting in diluted traits.

 

Cloning - Cloning is the technique of generating genetically identical creatures using methods like SCNT. It began with early attempts in 1902 and progressed to the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996. Cloning produces similar organisms, making it a potential strategy for saving species on the verge of extinction. However, it requires intact living cells, making it unsuitable for extinct animals. 

 

Eg: One of the most renowned examples of resurrection biology is the Pyrenean ibex, which became extinct in 2000. Scientists successfully cloned the ibex using preserved tissue samples, but the cloned animal died shortly after birth due to lung issues. Despite obstacles, advances in genome editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 open up new avenues for de-extinction initiatives by altering the DNA of extant species to mimic that of extinct ones.

 

Genome Editing - Genetic engineering modifies an organism's DNA by deleting, replacing, or inserting sequences. Genome editing alters small sections of DNA, impacting traits like eye color or disease risk. Synthetic genomics introduces longer DNA segments, including novel genes or those from other species. Both methods enable precise genetic changes.