These mice might be the key to reviving woolly mammoths : Short Wave : NPR

These mice might be the key to reviving woolly mammoths : Short Wave : NPR

Left, a regular mouse sits near a genetically modified mouse, seen to the right. The latter has been genetically modified to have the longer, golden hair and fat stores of a woolly mammoth.

Colossal Biosciences


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Colossal Biosciences


Left, a regular mouse sits near a genetically modified mouse, seen to the right. The latter has been genetically modified to have the longer, golden hair and fat stores of a woolly mammoth.

Colossal Biosciences

You’ve heard of the woolly mammoth. But have you heard of woolly mice? These critters were genetically modified by the Dallas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences to have the same “woolly” and fat appearance as the ancient mammoths. The mice are a key step in the longer journey to de-extinct the woolly mammoth. NPR’s Rob Stein takes us to the lab where it all happened.

Interested in more biotech stories? Let us know by dropping a line to shortwave@npr.org.

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This episode was produced and edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Special thanks to Hannah Chinn. Tyler Jones checked the facts. Robert Rodriguez was the audio engineer.

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