"Colossal Biosciences said on Wednesday it has succeeded in growing pigeon primordial germ cells, precursor cells to sperm and eggs, for the first time. This is a pivotal step in bringing back the dodo, which was a type of pigeon, for the first time in more than 300 years, according to Colossal. The Texas-based company, which has made splashy headlines for its plans to reestablish wooly mammoths and dire wolves, said it has also developed gene-edited chickens that will act as surrogates for the dodos."
"Rough ballpark, we think it's still five to seven years out, but it's not 20 years out, Ben Lamm, Colossal's chief executive, said about the timeline for the dodo's return. Our goal is to make enough dodos with enough genetic diversity engineered into them that we can put them back into the wild where they can truly thrive, he said. So we're not looking to make two dodos, we're looking to make thousands."
Colossal Biosciences has grown pigeon primordial germ cells, the precursors to sperm and eggs, marking a key step toward resurrecting the dodo. The company engineered chickens to serve as surrogate parents and plans to inject them with primordial germ cells from Nicobar pigeons, the closest living relatives of dodos, with additional gene edits to recreate dodo body and head shapes. Colossal projects a roughly five-to-seven-year timeline and aims to produce thousands of genetically diverse dodos. Teams are identifying safe, rat-free sites in Mauritius for reintroduction. Historical extinction drivers included human hunting, habitat loss and invasive species such as macaques, pigs and rats.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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