This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer at Colossal Biosciences. They discuss her path into ancient DNA and evolutionary genetics, how advances in genome engineering are reshaping de-extinction and conservation science, and why restoring lost ecological functions could transform the future of biodiversity.
Show Notes:
0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast
00:59 Welcome to Beth
01:43 Beth’s path from journalism to ancient DNA research
04:46 Beth’s first project on American bison and near extinction
08:26 How Beth worked on a dodo sample at Oxford and what ancient DNA could reveal
11:09 How de-extinction entered the field and why resurrecting species became a scientific goal
14:54 Why de-extinction efforts could strengthen ecosystems and accelerate species conservation
18:33 How cloning a mammoth works and why genome engineering replaces traditional cloning
25:05 Understanding the genome of a woolly mammoth
28:06 What functional de-extinction means in practice
30:55 Genetic clues behind the woolly mammoth’s coat
33:25 The technical hurdles behind de-extinction
38:23 Building a stepwise path to de-extinction through near-term conservation tools
39:36 Ethics risk management and working with local and Indigenous communities in de-extinction projects
44:59 Scientific and technological breakthroughs needed over the next decade to make de-extinction and biodiversity preservation viable
49:20 Closing remarks
Find out more:
Colossal Biosciences (https://colossal.com/)
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