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Super Quolls: One Gene Away From Cane Toad Immunity
24 Apr
Summary
- Quolls to gain cane toad resistance via single gene edit.
- Colossal Biosciences partners with University of Melbourne.
- Tasmanian tigers and woolly mammoths are future goals.
A biotechnology firm, Colossal Biosciences, is nearing a significant milestone in wildlife conservation and genetic engineering. The company, in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, is preparing to breed the first litter of northern quolls modified to resist the deadly toxin of cane toads. This development is anticipated within the next year.
The project hinges on a remarkable genetic discovery: a single nucleotide change within the genome confers natural immunity to cane toad poisoning. Researchers have identified this crucial gene and plan to introduce it into the quoll population, effectively fast-tracking their evolutionary adaptation.
Professor Andrew Pask, chief biology officer at Colossal Biosciences, highlighted the profound impact of this single genetic alteration. He explained that this one change in the quoll's three-billion-letter genome is sufficient to make them entirely resistant to cane toads, transforming them into what he termed 'super quolls.'
This successful gene-editing initiative with northern quolls is seen as a precursor to Colossal Biosciences' more ambitious de-extinction projects, which include the potential resurrection of species like the Tasmanian tiger and the woolly mammoth.
