THE ‘WOOLLY MOUSE’ has today made its debut as a first in its furry kind.

Colossal Bioscience, “de-extinction” company with an aim to revive species like the woolly mammoth and the dodo bird, has mixed mammoth and mouse genes to create mice engineered to express multiple key mammoth-like traits that provide adaptations to life in cold climates.

The team explored a data set of 121 mammoth and elephant genomes to identify genes that impact hair and other cold-adaption traits.

The team also modified seven genes simultaneously to dramatically alter coat color, texture, and thickness reminiscent of the woolly mammoth.

Co-Founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences Ben Lamm said the woolly mouse marks a “watershed” moment for their de-extinction mission.

“By engineering multiple cold-tolerant traits from mammoth evolutionary pathways into a living model species, we’ve proven our ability to recreate complex genetic combinations that took nature millions of years to create. This success brings us a step closer to our goal of bringing back the woolly mammoth,” he added.

A genetically modified wholly mouse next to a mouse Handout Handout

The team used information of computational analysis of 59 woolly, Columbian, and steppe mammoth genomes ranging from 3,500 to over 1,200,000 years old. Colossal Biosciences says these genomes then confirm the pathways as targets for its goal of mammoth de-extinction.

The team also refined the list of available genomes to include ten genes related to hair length, thickness, texture, and color as well as lipid metabolism that were compatible with expression in a mouse.

Chief Science Officer at Colossal, Dr. Beth Shapiro said: “The Colossal Woolly Mouse showcases our ability to use the latest genome editing tools and approaches to drive predictable phenotypes. It is an important step toward validating our approach to resurrecting traits that have been lost to extinction and that our goal is to restore.”

The woolly mouse is reportedly the first living animal engineered to express multiple cold-adapted traits using mammoth genes, and is a living model for studying cold-climate adaptations in mammals.