Ben Lamm, CEO and founder of Colossal Biosciences, confidently asserts that the first woolly mammoth calves could be born by late 2028, although introducing any species into the wild presents risks and uncertainties that even his team cannot fully predict.
The scientists at Colossal Biosciences are aiming to reverse-engineer woolly mammoth traits by identifying key genes and using CRISPR technology to insert those genes into Asian elephant DNA, creating a hybrid that closely resembles the ancient mammoth.
Unlike the narrative of 'Jurassic Park' where dinosaurs are resurrected from ancient DNA preserved in amber, the team is working in the opposite direction by enhancing modern elephants with genetic traits from woolly mammoths, leveraging the close genetic similarity.
Asian elephants share 95% of their genetic material with woolly mammoths, making them the prime candidates for this de-extinction process. The researchers specifically focus on target genes that contribute to the defining traits of the woolly mammoth.
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