American scientists have created the world’s first mice with fur resembling the coat of mammoths, which became extinct thousands of years ago. Genetically modified rodents have proven to be more resistant to the cold.
Specialists from the biotech company Colossal Biosciences have bred 38 completely healthy mice with thick fur, which, according to them, are not inferior to their normal counterparts in life expectancy. Genetic changes affected the length, density, color and texture of the fur, as well as the metabolism of the animals. The mammoth gene was not used for modification – scientists used DNA editing and genomics technologies.
Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm noted that this experiment proved the team’s ability to “recreate complex genetic combinations that nature has spent millions of years forming.” Now the researchers want to find out whether the modified rodents will be able to preserve fat reserves at sub-zero temperatures. They are awaiting approval of the experiment from the ethical board.
The company also aims to revive mammoths by editing the genes of Asian elephants. The first baby, according to their forecasts, could appear by 2028. By March, the startup had attracted $435 million in investment, with Paris Hilton, Peter Jackson and Chris Hemsworth among its backers.
