Researchers revives the cells in the 28,000 years old mammoth

A breakthrough within the cell - and DNA-research in Tokyo has brought us one step closer to arouse mammutten to live again.

It succeeded namely for researchers from Kindai University, Osaka transplanting cell nuclei into mouse and to preserve the biological activity in the cores.

It is a big, says one of the researchers behind the project.

Our current study paves the way for to be able to decode the ancient biological information through the use of nuclei from prehistoric animals. We expect that this leads to future progress in evolutionary biology, says Kei Miyamoto.

Also in Denmark, experts are optimistic.

Ice and Climate, DNA researcher and professor at the University of Copenhagen Centre for Geogenetics at the Natural history Museum, says that it is a major breakthrough, the japanese have scored. The researchers found namely the possible signs that the mammoth DNA repaired itself.

– It is especially interesting that they consider the repair of the DNA in the cell. Indeed, this is one of the challenges with the nucleus from dead organisms. The DNA is degraded, and it has been one of the arguments for that kloninger of extinct animals can not be successful, says Ice and Climate.

Photo: The Chinese Academy of sciences

however, There are several things you would need to relate to, before you could afford to revive mammutten, tells Kei Miyamoto

– We would need to discuss several different potential challenges before we would be able to make experiments with the revival of mammutten. Including ethical challenges, animal welfare and the environmental aspect, he says.

The ethical aspect of the revival of prehistoric animals is, however, not currently yet, since we are, after all, is too far away from getting life in the hairy glacial elephant.

the Facts

The african elephant is the largest living elefantStørrelsesmæssigt is the african elephant and mammutten roughly ensGennemsnitsvægten for both of them is between approximately five and six tonDen biggest difference between the two animals is the length of the stødtænderneDen african elefants tusks are, on average, 1.4 to 2.4 meterMammuttens tusks was on average 2,4 – 2,7 meterMammuttens stødtandsrekord is, however, 4.2 meters (91 kg)

The well-preserved mammoth-carcass, which enabled the research, goes under the name of Yuka. She was discovered in august 2010 in Siberia, where she 28,000 years earlier was frozen in the siberian permafrost in the age of between six and eight years. It was the local residents in the village of Yukagir, who first found her, and she is named then.

But it is not only Yuka, who can be awakened to live again, if the research within this field continues.

– I think that in the long term there is hope to clone other extinct animals, if their nuclei are relatively well preserved, because they, for example, have been frozen. Or because they are not yet particularly mature, as for example the tasmanian tiger, says Ice and Climate.

Unfortunately – or fortunately – we are not at all close to the revived dinosaurs.

– When we talk about dinosaurs, or other animals, where the biological material is made the kinds of fossils, I can't see that it would be possible, say Ice and Climate, but continues:

– however, I have learned by bitter experience, that, with regard to science, one should never say never.

It is the bone marrow and muscle tissue, extracted from Yuka, who has paved the way for the breakthrough. This is evidenced in an article published in the magazine Scientific Reports.

the Aim of the research was to examine the biological activity of the cell nuclei in the different extinct animals, tells Kei Miyamoto.

We were interested in evaluating the biological activities in the cell nuclei in the prehistoric, extinct animals.

More specifically, the inmates, the researchers nuclei from the muscle tissue in the cells of the mouse's egg and observed how the structures that pop up just before cell division, shaped itself.

– Also, if you can induce DNA replication, or transcription of such cell nuclei, it will possibly provide us with absolutely invaluable information. Therefore, we believe that our research can represent a brand new research within the area, says Kei Miyamoto.

however, We are still only at the first step of the journey towards a new ice age

– There is still a long way to go, for there is a mammoth in the zoo, but this is an important step, says Ice and Climate.

the Article has been in collaboration with the Danish school of journalism at roskilde university.