Project Aims to ‘De-Extinct’ the Tasmanian Tiger After Humans Eradicated It Nearly a Century Ago

Could the return of the Tasmanian tiger truly be an imminent possibility?

That’s among the ambitions of a newly announced project from biotech leaders Colossal Biosciences, founded by George Church and Ben Lamm. In partnership with the University of Melbourne, the self-described “de-extinction company” said in a press release shared this week that it had started the process of bringing back the Tasmanian tiger, i.e. the Australian marsupial formally known as the thylacine. The creature has been extinct since 1936.

Key to this potential feat of science, the added benefits of which are said to include the restoring of balance to Australian ecosystems, is Dr. Andrew Pask, who leads the Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research Lab (a.k.a. the TIGRR Lab) in Melbourne. According to Dr. Pask, the possible impact of this project is actually much broader than might be assumed by the public.

“The technology and key learnings from this project will also influence the next generation of marsupial conservation efforts,” Dr. Pask said, adding that he and his team are “excited” to play a role in bringing back a species “eradicated” by mankind.

the steps to reintroducing the Tasmanian tiger nearly a century after humans stamped it out began with “embryos and young specimens” having been preserved over the years. In 2018, a genome was sequenced by Dr. Pask using DNA taken from a 108-year-old preserved specimen. This genome was updated in April of this year.

Several steps later, a fully formed embryo is set to be placed inside surrogate, followed as much as 42 days later by a birth.

Colossal, of course, has made headlines before, including in connection with woolly mammoth-focused efforts. Notable investors connected with the future-minded company include the Hemsworth trio, i.e. Chris, Luke, and Liam.

Complex has reached out to Colossal and TIGRR Lab reps for comment. In the meantime, revisit Colossal’s “A Case for De-Extinction” talk from this year’s SXSW below.