Is Cloning Good? The Science & Ethics Of De-Extinction Technology | The Resurrection Quest - Ep 4/4

Key Concepts

De-extinction, cloning, genetic engineering, permafrost, ecosystem restoration, biobanking, moral hazard, passenger pigeon, woolly mammoth, northern white rhino, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), artificial wombs, genetic diversity, climate feedback loop, Pleistocene Park.

De-extinction Projects and Technologies

Passenger Pigeon

• Goal: To bring back the passenger pigeon, a species that once numbered in the billions and played a significant role in ecosystem disturbance.
• Methodology:
  • Genetic engineering to introduce genes for hypersocial behavior.
  • Using Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) as surrogate parents.
  • Creating an environment that mimics the original flock size using speaker systems playing sounds of billions of birds, murals depicting large flocks, and decoys.
  • Aiming to produce over 10,000 chicks per year, requiring a large aviary to house 20,000-40,000 birds.
• Challenges:
  • Raising the first generation of birds with surrogate parents that do not exhibit the same social behaviors.
  • Ensuring the reintroduction of the species does not negatively impact existing ecosystems.
  • Addressing the potential for ecological disturbance caused by large flocks.
• Revive & Restore's Role: Leading the project with initial funding through small grants, now supported by a major anonymous donor.

Woolly Mammoth

• Goal: To create a cold-resistant elephant, essentially a mammoth-like creature, to revitalize the ecosystem of the tundra.
• Methodology:
  • Identifying the DNA sequences that create mammoth-specific traits (e.g., hairy external surfaces, curved tusks, body shape).
  • Using CRISPR gene editing to modify elephant cells with mammoth genes.
  • Replacing the nucleus of an elephant egg cell with the nucleus of a genetically edited cell.
  • Implanting the resulting embryo into a surrogate host (initially an elephant, potentially an artificial womb in the future).
• Challenges:
  • The ethical considerations of using elephants as surrogate mothers.
  • The long gestation period of elephants (22 months).
  • Teaching the first mammoths how to behave like mammoths.
  • Ensuring the edited elephants are cold-resistant before releasing them into the Arctic.
• Colossal Biosciences' Role: Focused on developing technologies applicable to a wide range of animal species, including the mammoth.
• Timeline: Aiming to deliver a genetically engineered elephant by 2028, though considered ambitious.
• George Church's Vision: To revitalize the tundra ecosystem and develop conservation technologies.

Northern White Rhino

• Goal: To prevent the extinction of the northern white rhino, of which only two infertile females remain.
• Methodology:
  • Creating viable embryos using eggs from the remaining females and sperm from deceased males.
  • Transferring these embryos into surrogate southern white rhino females.
  • Reprogramming skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
  • Differentiating iPSCs into gametes (eggs and sperm) in the lab.
• Challenges:
  • The limited genetic diversity of the remaining population.
  • The uncertainty of how a northern white rhino embryo will develop in a southern white rhino uterus.
  • The advanced age of the remaining females.
• Timeline: Hoping for a calf to be born in early 2026, but regarding it as a miracle.
• Biobanking Initiative: A broader effort to collect and preserve tissue samples, build population genomics maps, establish immortalized cell lines, and create iPSCs for various species.
• Thomas Hildebrandt's Work: Leading efforts to produce viable embryos and develop stem cell technologies.

Cloning and its Implications

• Oliver Ryder's Frozen Zoo: Saving tissues and cells before species become endangered or extinct.
• Shal's Horse Example: Cloning a shal's horse stallion to restore genetic diversity to the managed population.
• Misconceptions about Cloning: Addressing the perception of clones as aberrations of biotechnology and highlighting their potential for species conservation.
• Dog Cloning Case Study (KH):
  • A personal experience with cloning a dog, highlighting the initial behavioral issues (anxiety, fear, aggression).
  • The importance of rehabilitation and socialization in shaping the clone's personality.
  • The realization that clones are not identical copies and are influenced by environmental factors.
  • The ethical concerns and societal pressures associated with cloning.
• Identical Twins as Clones: Emphasizing that identical twins are naturally occurring clones and exhibit individual differences.

Ecosystem Restoration and Permafrost

Pleistocene Park

• Goal: To restore the ecosystem of the tundra by reintroducing large herbivores, such as bison, horses, and reindeer.
• Rationale:
  • Large herbivores can help to prevent permafrost thaw by trampling snow, allowing cold air to penetrate the ground.
  • Snow removal reduces the insulating effect of snow, keeping the ground colder in winter.
  • Colder ground helps to keep carbon stored in permafrost from being released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases.
• Permafrost and Climate Change:
  • Permafrost contains a vast amount of carbon (over 1,000 billion tons), more than all above-ground vegetation.
  • Thawing permafrost releases greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane), creating a climate feedback loop.
  • Permafrost thaw can lead to infrastructure damage and ecosystem collapse.
• Challenges:
  • The labor-intensive nature of ecosystem restoration.
  • The need for a large enough territory and herd size to have a significant impact.
  • The importance of introducing predators to prevent overgrazing.
• Scientific Approach: Rigorous monitoring of permafrost temperatures, greenhouse gas concentrations, and ecosystem changes.
• Instrumentation: Using rare instruments to measure greenhouse gas concentrations and permafrost changes.
• Nikita Zimov's Vision: To create a self-sustaining ecosystem that benefits humans, animals, nature, and the climate.

Ethical and Societal Considerations

Moral Hazard

• The concern that de-extinction technology could lead to complacency about species conservation.
• The argument that if species can be brought back from extinction, there is less incentive to prevent them from going extinct in the first place.

De-extinction as Utopianism or Hope

• The recognition that de-extinction is both a utopian ideal and a source of hope.
• The potential for de-extinction technologies to be used for other purposes, such as human reproduction.
• The importance of considering the welfare of de-extinct species and ensuring they can thrive in the current environment.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The video explores the complex and multifaceted world of de-extinction and ecosystem restoration. It highlights the potential of biotechnology to bring back extinct species, conserve endangered ones, and restore degraded ecosystems. However, it also acknowledges the ethical, societal, and ecological challenges associated with these endeavors. The projects discussed, such as the de-extinction of the passenger pigeon and woolly mammoth, and the restoration of Pleistocene Park, represent ambitious attempts to address some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. The video emphasizes the importance of scientific rigor, ethical considerations, and a long-term perspective in pursuing these goals. Ultimately, the success of these projects will depend on a combination of technological innovation, ecological understanding, and societal support.