​Dire efforts: On de-extinction and conservation | Current Affairs | Vision IAS

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​Dire efforts: On de-extinction and conservation

2 min read

Genomics and De-extinction

An American company aims to combine genomics with conservation through the process of de-extinction, focusing on resurrecting species that have been extinct for thousands of years. 

Key Projects and Objectives

  • Primary Project: Bringing back the woolly mammoth to combat global warming. 
    • The mammoth thrived during the Pleistocene Ice Ages in lush grasslands.
    • Its extinction led to the loss of these grasslands, with implications for climate change.

Scientific Rationale

  • Climate Change Mitigation:
    • Warming climates have converted grasslands to shrubbery and snow, releasing methane from thawing permafrost.
    • Grasslands absorb less heat, potentially slowing warming, but can't completely stop it.
  • Experimental Approaches:
    • Scientists have extracted woolly mammoth DNA and reconstructed its genome for gene editing.
    • Efforts to incubate a hybrid embryo in an elephant’s womb are underway.

Other Projects

  • Dire Wolf Experiment: Produced three snow-white wolves, but the claim lacks peer review.

Criticism and Challenges

  • Technological Limitations: Criticism over creating a “strange-looking gray wolf” with only 20 genes edited. 
  • Resource Allocation:
    • Spending on speculative projects diverts resources from immediate conservation needs.
  • Ethical Concerns: Need for strict guidelines on using gene-editing technologies. 

Conclusion

 While there have been significant advancements in genomics, the conservation value of its de-extinction efforts remains debatable. Immediate conservation efforts face unprecedented challenges, and the application of gene-editing technologies must be carefully regulated. 

  • Tags :
  • genomics
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