- Colossal Biosciences, a Texas biotech start-up, has announced a project to bring the bluebuck, an antelope native to southern Africa, back from extinction using genetic technology.
- The bluebuck, which went extinct around 1800, is the sixth species added to Colossal's wider 'de-extinction' programme, which also includes the dire wolf, woolly mammoth, and dodo.
- The project involves reconstructing the bluebuck's genome from preserved specimens and genetically modifying cells from its close relative, the roan antelope, to create embryos for surrogate animals.
- Colossal's CEO, Ben Lamm, said that the initiative is a “pivotal step” for conservation, aiming to develop tools that can benefit the 29 antelope species currently at risk of extinction.
- While no timeline has been given for producing a living bluebuck, the company is collaborating with conservation groups in South Africa to plan for habitat restoration and potential reintroduction of the species.
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