By Clara Parrilla
Scientists from the University of Melbourne are teaming up with Colossal in efforts to bring back the Tasmanian tiger, in hopes of it restoring balance. The group in charge of the project will use gene editing technology, and they expect it to take about ten years to complete.
The Tasmanian tiger has been extinct since 1936, since the last individual died in captivity. The reasons for its extinction aren’t certain, but scientists believe it could be because of dingoes, the introduction of dogs or hunting. This animal was the largest carnivorous marsupial in recent times. The Thylacinus Cynocephalus was 100 to 130 cm long, and it weighed from 15 to 30 kg. It had yellowish brown fur, with 13 to 19 dark lines, which gave it its name, and 46 teeth in its powerful jaw. The semi-nocturnal creature, that hunted other marsupials, had litters with about 4 babies each. Females had a pouch on their back, and males had half open pouches in the same area.
TIGRR labs, also known as Thylacine Integrated Genome Restoration Research, is the department in the University of Melbourne that is working together with the bioscience company, Colossal, in hopes of bringing back the Tasmanian tiger. To manage this, they will use gene editing technology, artificial wombs, preserved genomes, and the DNA of similar animals to create cells. Creating an exact copy of the creature is impossible, but the scientists working in this project expect to create an animal whose DNA is a 90% match.
But scientists aren't trying to bring the tiger back just for the sake of, its de-extinction had a purpose. The scientists working on this believe that reincorporating the animal in its natural habitat would bring back balance to the Tanzanian ecosystem. Whole regions could benefit from it. Helping conservation work is another one of the benefits of this work. Something like this could also make huge advancements in technology. It could help develop genetic engineering tools.
Is it a good idea? Could it be done? While some people argue that this is a possible acomplishment, others don't. According to BBC, some scientists are "skeptical and suggest de-extinction is just science fiction." Our schools scientist and teacher, Dr. Garnier says that, "We should live with our consequences, and not use technology to
make us feel better. We should use that energy to find a cure for cancer". Our science and math teacher also says that "It's cruel".
Overall I feel bringing back the Tasmanian Tiger could benefit the whole world, especially the areas were it used to live. But is this a good idea? Will they be able to accomplish this?
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