De-extinction' of dire wolf could be both a gift and curse

Despite its potential for conservation, questions around the consequences of resurrecting extinct species remain

- DEVANGSHU DATTA

A recent announcement by Colossal Biosciences, the Texas-based genetics company, that it has "de-extinctioned" the dire wolf, has led to headlines and controversy. In pop culture, dire wolves are associated with the Game of Thrones serial, just as tyrannosaurs are associated with Jurassic Park.

Colossal has been working since 2021 to bring back iconic extinct species like the mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger and the dodo. While these efforts grab headlines, its genetic research may help maintain biodiversity and prevent the extinction of many severely endangered species.

Colossal Biosciences was founded by tech entrepreneur Ben Lamm along with pioneering Harvard geneticist George Church, and other eminent scientists like Beth Shapiro. It has funding from hardheaded mainstream venture capitalists like Breyer Capital, Draper Associates, Animal Capital, At One Ventures, Jazz Ventures, Bold Capital, Global Space Ventures, Climate Capital, Winklevoss Capital, etc. It also has funding from bitcoin millionaires and movie moguls like Thomas Tull, who funded Dune and Jurassic World.

The dire wolf was a massive canine, which went extinct around 11,000 years ago. Colossal says it has bred three dire wolf pups, Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi.

How the wolves were brought back
It analysed dire wolf DNA extracted from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old ear-bone, compared that genome to the gray wolf genome and identified key differences. Then it did cut-and-paste gene editing using CRISPR Cas9 to alter the gray wolf's genome.

Some 20 gene edits were made in 14 genes to create a hybrid that looks like the dire wolf. The three pups are doing well and the two older boys, Romulus and Remus (who are six months old), are already as heavy as the average adult gray wolf, which hits around 35-40 kg as a mature two-year-old.