BI215-A: Principles of Genetics

World famous Geneticist, George Church, of Harvard University is working with a team to recreate the genetic blueprint of the prehistoric Woolly Mammoth species. Dr. Church helped to develop the technology of the CRISPR/Cas 9 gene splicing system. But, this team is not alone. Several teams of scientists from countries around the globe have the same mission: The Woolly Mammoth project with the goal of de-extinction of this prehistoric species. The plan is to use DNA obtained from Mammoth blood and bone samples preserved in the Permafrost of arctic regions and hybridize it with modern, Asian elephant DNA. The resulting zygote would be grown in an artificial womb in the lab.

What new scientific technology could make this possible? Explain how it works.

Why would we want to bring the mammoth back to life? Are there any advantages of bringing the mammoth back to life? Are there any potential disadvantages you can think of- after all, they’re just herbivores, right?

The scientists involved in this research are imagining a scenario where they release these hybrid animals back into their native lands (the Siberian steppe). What impact positive or negative might this have on the ecosystem already in place there? (Please include the topic of global warming in your answer).

Finally, if this can be successfully done for one extinct species, could it be done for others or all of them? Due: Sunday, 4/5/2020 @ 11:59 pm.

Here are a few resources to get you started:

https://www.history.com/news/wooly-mammoth-resurrection-cloning-genesis

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/07/woolly-mammoths-extinction-cloning-genetics/

https://www.nature.com/articles/srep44585