by Kiara DeVaughn

De-extinction is the process of creating an organism that either resembles or is genetically similar to an extinct species. This term has been making headlines since genome sequencing research made headway.

Genome sequencing is when a piece of DNA is cut from a specific genome and, in this case, placed into a genetically similar host’s genome to potentially bring back an extinct species.

For woolly mammoths, preserved and genetically modified genomes of their species are hoped to be placed into the embryo of elephants. The modified genomes come from using one from an elephant and placing a piece from that of the woolly mammoths into the sequence. The mother elephant is expected to give birth to an organism that closely resembles the woolly mammoth, both genetically and physically.

A popular technique that has been talked about relating to this process is the use of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic sequences, or CRISPRs. CRISPRs are naturally found in bacteria, acting as a defense mechanism and assisting in their immunity. It is important to note that their immune systems are different than eukaryotes, which, unlike bacteria, are multi-cellular organisms. CRISPRs cut the target DNA sequence and place a piece of their own genome in its place, knocking out those viruses and defending the bacteria.

This process will work similarly when the goal is de-extinction. However, there are many unknowns when using processes like these to reverse the extinction of species, especially ones that have not been present for extended periods of time.

Controversial views spike when this topic is mentioned, with many conversations ranging from the different ethical perspectives to whether it would be a promising idea to bring back an extant species to the world today.

Some argue that trying to resurrect an extinct species is wrong and is playing God, while others think it would be a wake-up call to the public to understand the impacts we have on our surroundings.

Personally, I believe that more things other than religious or spiritual and bioethical views should be taken into consideration. With the constantly changing climate and unprecedented changes that humans have caused to the planet, there is no guarantee that a resurrected species would be able to survive. Also, these newly engineered species could become invasive and outcompete the species already inhabiting the planet.

With more research and big companies funding these projects, the public should be aware of the possible outcomes and risks of this endeavor, not just the overall goal, especially since nothing is guaranteed and the results are mostly unknown.