General Chat

Using the skin cells of a dead drill monkey, researchers from Scripps Research Institute and San Diego Zoo in California have created induced pluripotent stem cells which can be ‘biochemically persuaded’ to become sperm and eggs.

The hope is that by using a surrogate womb, the cells will develop into a viable foetus. If this is a success, then it could see San Diego Zoo's Frozen Zoo project, which has already collected samples from over 800 species, be used in an IVF breeding programme to assist captive breeding programmes Jeane Loring, one of the Scripps researchers, said "You could actually breed from animals that are dead."

The process works by using genetically engineered viruses fitted with specific human genes that reprogrammed adult skin cells into becoming induced pluripotent stem cells.
However, while this worked in drill monkeys, it failed with white rhinoceros cells, indicating that species specific cells may need to be used.

There are also calls to use techniques that create ips cells without leaving the engineered genes in the new cells as in some cases the reprogramming can cause the ips cells to become cancerous.

An exciting prospect with this research is that it is not limited to just endangered species, it can also be used on extinct species, like it was on the Pyrenean Ibex in 2009

Hmm. Are we sure it's a good idea to resurrect extinct species? The way humans are crowding out and polluting the planet they would soon go extinct again.

It's interesting, and quite amazing that these possibilities are becoming more likely but there have to be very strict controls and it's almost like a case of 'be careful what you wish for.'

Where would these creatures go, if the people creating them were in an area different to the place they used to live before becoming extinct. And would these creatures know how to behave, how to do what was necessary to live safely and thrive, as they wouldn't have the parents teaching them, as animals do now.

Lizx