Forum 4 Palmer Steventon

Forum 4 Palmer Steventon

by Deleted user -
Number of replies: 1

In bringing back the Woolly Mammoth, there are many things that would have to work for scientists for scientists to be able to do so. Scientist George Church has come to some conclusions for making it work such as gene splicing or “synthetic biology”(Pruitt). In doing this he will be able to mix the genes of the Mammoth with the Asian elephant which could allow him to make a hybrid of the two. This synthetic biology will allow scientists to redesign organisms of one animal and give them new abilities so it can function properly(Synthetic Biology). Church is also using CRISPR/Cas 9 gene splicing which helps geneticists be able to edit parts of a genome. They can add or take away from certain sections of the organism’s DNA in order to make a mutation(What is CRISPR/Cas 9). Bringing a Woolly Mammoth back to life would be a big break in the scientific field and could lead to a huge advancement in cloning and gene altering. The thought is that they would be able to help fight against global warming and it could bring back an old species to help with restoring the tundra to grassland which would affect the change in climate as well(Morse F.). There could be some disadvantages to bringing back the Mammoth. They could mess with wildlife and how it is now, disrupting how other animals eat or hunt for food. We also don’t know how they would act bringing them back out of existence, they could be very unpredictable and cause a lot of unforeseen damage when brought out into the wild again. I think that if this can be done successfully for the Woolly Mammoth, then it can be done for other species. However, I’m not sure how far scientists would want to go with bringing animals back from the dead. There are 5 good quality movies that show us that things could go wrong if we don’t take the correct precautions in what we’re trying to do.

 

Pruitt, S. (2019, January 22). Are Scientists on the Verge of Resurrecting the Woolly Mammoth? Retrieved from https://www.history.com/news/wooly-mammoth-resurrection-cloning-genesis

Synthetic Biology. (2019, August 14). Retrieved from https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/Synthetic-Biology

What is CRISPR-Cas9? (2016, December 19). Retrieved from https://www.yourgenome.org/facts/what-is-crispr-cas9

Morse, F. (2015, June 11). Why scientists want to bring back woolly mammoths. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33062252/why-scientists-want-to-bring-back-woolly-mammoths


414 words

In reply to Deleted user

Re: Forum 4 Palmer Steventon

by Deleted user -
The creation of a new species with old DNA is an interesting concept. The ability of science to perceive such notions is also interesting. I like your point of “functioning properly” if the animal were to ever become a reality. How would scientists ensure the old DNA would not have any undue mutations or even if the hybridization of the DNA with the Asian Elephant would result in a properly functioning prodigy? It all does seem along the lines of designer babies and in my limited research of that science, undue genetic mutations occur often, sometimes with major consequences. I also liked your Hollywood references as to why this endeavor could result in Jurassic consequences.

115 words