Scientists in Texas Have Created the ‘Woolly Mouse’ With Hopes To Bring Back The Mammoth

On the surface, there isn't much in common between the mouse and an elephant, or for that matter a mouse an the extinct Woolly Mammoth, but that might have all changed.

Colossal Biosciences, a private lab in Dallas, Texas is attempting to bring back the Woolly Mammoth and other animals that have gone extinct. And while the company hasn't brought the mammoth back yet, scientists at Colossal Biosciences have successfully modified a lab rat to become a Woolly Mouse.

According to a report from CNN, the Woolly Mouse has several mammoth like traits. The genetically modified mouse has curly whiskers and wavy light hair. The hair grows three times longer than the typical lab mouse.

How Did Scientist Create the Woolly Mouse?

CNN reports that scientist identified genetic variants in which mammoths were different from the closest living relative, the Asian elephant. The lab's scientists then pinpointed 10 variants related to hair color, length, thickness, body fat and more. The team made eight edits to the mice genes at the same time. According to CNN, scientist believe multiple edits is an important step forward.

“I think that the ability to edit multiple genes at the same time in mice, and to do so and obtain the expected woolly appearance, is a very important step,” said Love Dalén, a professor of evolutionary genomics at Stockholm University. Dalén is an advisor to Colossal and was a coauthor on the paper.

“It is a proof-of-principle that Colossal has the know-how to do this kind of gene editing, including to insert mammoth gene variants into a different species.”

Not Everyone Is Convinced

According to CNN, the head of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics Laboratory doesn't seem convinced just yet. Robin Lovell-Badge told CNN that the creation and research doesn't address whether the Woolly Mouse are actually cold-tolerant.

“As it is, we have some cute looking hairy mice, with no understanding of their physiology, behaviour, etc. It doesn’t get them any closer to know if they would eventually be able to give an elephant useful mammoth-like traits and we have learned little biology.”

According to CNN, Colossal has been able to raise $435 million since 2021. The company plans on recreating the mammoth, dodo, and the Tasmanian tiger. Colossal has said in the past they believe they are on track to introduce the first woolly mammoth calves in 2028.