Charged 2026

Tag: genetics

  • Genetic Engineering: Woolld you, or woolldn’t you?

    Imagine a tiny mouse with long, golden-brown fur that looks like it belongs on a woolly mammoth! As of a couple months ago, you don’t have to imagine- scientists at Colossal Biosciences recently created mice like this by using a technique called genetic engineering. They added mammoth genes found in fossils into mouse embryos so the mice would grow thick, shaggy coats and develop traits that helped mammoths survive in the Ice Age. The researchers conducted this experiment to help them understand how mammoths stayed warm, and this might even lead to creating elephant species that can live in colder climates.

    What is genetic engineering?

    Genetic engineering works by changing an organism’s DNA, which is like the instruction book for life. DNA is made up of genes, and each gene gives directions for a specific trait, like eye color, height, or how thick an animal’s fur is, in this case. Scientists use a tool called CRISPR to cut or edit DNA very precisely. This allows them to remove, add, or change certain genes to add in traits, or even create new traits. For example, in this experiment, mammoth genes were added to mice to see how they affected hair growth and temperature regulation.

    We can we really bring back extinct animals?

    The idea of bringing back extinct animals sounds exciting, but it also comes with serious challenges. The world has changed a lot since mammoths roamed the Earth. There are no longer huge frozen grasslands for them to live in, and reintroducing mammoth-like creatures could harm existing ecosystems or create competition for resources. Some scientists worry that these new animals might struggle to survive or suffer in modern conditions that are too different from their original habitats. While bringing extinct animal might be possible, you can’t feasibly bring back an extinct environment to house them in. Due to this, we can’t truly bring back extinct animals that would survive for long periods of time in the wild.

    There’s also an ethical side to think about. Just because humans have the power to change life and the ecosystem doesn’t always mean we should. Many experts believe our focus should be on protecting endangered animals that still exist rather than reviving ones that are long gone.

    The “woolly mouse” experiment shows how powerful genetic engineering can be- it lets scientists explore ancient life in new ways. But it also reminds us that with every new discovery, we have to remember that the question is not only can we do this, but should be do this?

    References

    1. Unknown author. (2025, March 4). Woolly mammoth extinction: Mice with mammoth-like traits raise hopes for genetic engineering. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/03/04/nx-s1-5299962/woolly-mammoth-extinction-mice-genetic-engineering
    2. Davies, J. (2025, March 10). Colossal Biosciences engineers mice with woolly mammoth traits. Chemical & Engineering News, 103(06). https://doi.org/10.1021/cen-10306-scicon5
  • Celebrate DNA Day with a Chocolate Smoothie!

    Celebrate DNA Day with a Chocolate Smoothie!

    Happy DNA Day!!!!

    So, it’s April 20th and you want to celebrate DNA day, but aren’t sure how?  What about making chocolate smoothies in honor of Alfred Hershey and Barbara Chase, the rockin’ scientists whose experiment finally convinced everybody that the information for your traits (i.e. genes) was contained in DNA rather than in protein, which was the other contender .  They made their discovery 60 years ago so now’s a good time to call them out.

    Now, 1952 was a prosperous time in America and while folks were makin’ babies, watching TV and buying $0.20/gallon gasoline to fuel their big, beautiful cars, Hershey and Chase were hanging out on Long Island at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, mixin’ up phage (bacteriophage) and E. coli.  Phage are viruses that infect bacteria and when they do that they bring genetic information along with them.  Hershey and Chase had the genius idea that if they labeled the different parts of the phage with radioactivity and then tracked which parts went INTO the bacteria, they could figure out what genes were made of.  So, they labeled the phage protein with radioactive sulfur or the phage DNA with radioactive phosphorous and added it to the bacteria for a little while.  Then they used a blender (like the vintage Waring blender pictured here) to knock off any parts of the phage stuck to the outside of the bacteria and, lo and behold, the radioactive DNA was inside the cells carrying the genes and the radioactive protein got knocked off of the cells and floated away.

    The results of the Hershey Chase experiment paved the way for the golden era of molecular biology and actually made people care about the big paper Watson and Crick put out the next year that proposed the structure of DNA.

    So, HAPPY DNA DAY! Here’s how you can use YOUR blender to pay delicious tribute to these important scientists.