Filmmaker partners with Colossal Biosciences to recreate lost species
Jackson, best known for directing The Lord of the Rings, owns one of the world's largest private collections of bones from the moa.
This week, Colossal announced a new project to re-create a bird resembling the South Island giant moa, a towering creature that once stood up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall. The project has received US$15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh and includes collaboration with New Zealand's Ngāi Tahu Research Centre.
"The movies are my day job; the moa are my fun thing," Jackson said. "Every New Zealand schoolchild grows up fascinated by the moa."
While scientists doubt extinct animals can be truly brought back, some believe it's possible to alter existing species to resemble them genetically. Still, there are concerns that efforts like this may take attention and resources away from conserving living endangered species.
Moa lived in New Zealand for thousands of years before being hunted to extinction about 600 years ago. International interest in the bird spiked in the 19th century when a complete skeleton was sent to England, now housed in the Yorkshire Museum.
Jackson became involved with Colossal after learning of its efforts to "de-extinct" species like the woolly mammoth and dire wolf. He connected the company with scientists he had met through his collection of 300 to 400 moa bones. In New Zealand, moa bones can be traded if found on private land, but cannot be exported or taken from public conservation areas.
The project's first step is to identify well-preserved moa bones that may contain extractable DNA, said Colossal's chief scientist, Beth Shapiro. The DNA will be compared with that of living ground-dwelling birds like the emu and tinamou to determine what made the moa unique.
Shapiro said re-creating a bird is harder than re-creating a mammal because birds develop inside eggs. Applying techniques like CRISPR to avian embryos faces scientific hurdles.
Even if a moa-like bird is created, Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm questioned its viability. "Where would you put it?" he asked, noting the challenges of reintroducing extinct species. "This would be a very dangerous animal."
Ngāi Tahu researchers are helping guide the project, linking it to Māori traditions and heritage. Moa bones and ancient Māori rock art at sites like Pyramid Valley add cultural depth to the work.
"He doesn't just collect moa bones," said Canterbury Museum curator Paul Scofield. "He has a comprehensive collection."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Precision Diagnostics & Medicine Market worth $246.66 billion by 2029
"Key players in the Precision diagnostic market include F. Hoffman La Roche Ltd. (Switzerland), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US), and Guardant Health (US) among others and key players in precision medicine market include Merck Co, Inc. (US), Gilead Sciences (US), AstraZeneca (UK), Novartis AG (Switzerland), among others." Browse 416 market data Tables and 92 Figures spread through 445 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Precision Diagnostics & Medicine Market by Diagnostic Testing (Genetic, DTC), Diagnostics Indication (Oncology, Neurology, Immunology), Therapeutic Products (Inhibitors, mAbs, CGT), Indication (Oncology, Rare Disease, Infectious) - Global Forecast to 2029 The report " Precision Diagnostics & Medicine Market by Diagnostic Testing (Genetic, DTC), Diagnostics Indication (Oncology, Neurology, Immunology), Therapeutic Products (Inhibitors, mAbs, CGT), Indication (Oncology, Rare Disease, Infectious) - Global Forecast to 2029", is expected to reach USD 246.66 billion by 2029 from USD 145.53 billion in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 11.1% Factors such as the increasing integration of AI and ML for the development of advanced precision diagnostics and therapeutic solutions supported by the rising collaboration and investment by major pharmaceutical companies for the development of precision medicine and biomarker discovery drive the growth of the market. Moreover, the increasing demand for direct-to-consumer testing owing to the growing awareness of patients towards their health and the convenience offered by these tests supports the adoption of precision diagnostics. Additionally, the expanding focus of pharmaceutical companies on the development of precision solutions for other diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders and autoimmune diseases and the integration of wearable technology to enhance healthcare offers growth opportunities for players operating in the precision medicine market. However, factors such as the high cost of precision healthcare and the challenges related to the integration and management of big data in precision solution development restrain the growth of the market. Browse 416 market data Tables and 92 Figures spread through 445 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Precision Diagnostics & Medicine Market by Diagnostic Testing (Genetic, DTC), Diagnostics Indication (Oncology, Neurology, Immunology), Therapeutic Products (Inhibitors, mAbs, CGT), Indication (Oncology, Rare Disease, Infectious) - Global Forecast to 2029"View detailed Table of Content here - The monoclonal antibodies segment accounted for the largest share of the Precision Medicine Market, by product, during the forecast period. Based on products, the precision medicine market is divided into inhibitor drugs, monoclonal antibodies, cell and gene therapy, antiviral and anti-retroviral drugs, and other therapeutic products. The large share of the monoclonal antibodies products segment can be attributed to the fact that a large number of the approved precision therapies are monoclonal antibodies. This large share of this segment is also supported by the ongoing approvals for monoclonal antibody drugs for various cancers and other diseases highlighting a focus of pharmaceutical companies on the development of monoclonal antibodies as precision medicines. The oncology subsegment accounted for the largest share of the precision diagnostics market's indication segment in 2023 Based on indication, the precision diagnostics market is segmented into oncology, neurology, immunology, and other indications. The oncology segment accounted for the largest share of the precision diagnostics market by indication in 2023. The large share of this segment is attributed to the increase in cancer cases globally, supported by rising demand for diagnostic tests offering early and accurate cancer diagnosis. For this reason, life science companies are increasingly investing and collaborating to develop advanced oncology diagnostic tests. This dominance is expected to continue throughout the forecast period as major players are developing new technologies for better oncology diagnosis. Asia Pacific is registered as the fastest-growing region of the Precision diagnostics market in 2023. The Precision medicine market is divided into five regions, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In 2023, North America held the largest share of the precision diagnostics market, followed by Europe. Aisa Pacific registered the highest CAGR growth within the precision diagnostics market during the forecast period. The expansion of key diagnostic players in the region followed by favorable policies supporting the larger adoption of precision medicine is a supporting factor. Additionally, there is a greater awareness about personalized approach to treatments in these developed regions compared to the developing/ emerging economies. Key players in the Precision diagnostic market include F. Hoffman La Roche Ltd. (Switzerland), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US), and Guardant Health (US) among others and key players in precision medicine market include Merck Co, Inc. (US), Gilead Sciences (US), AstraZeneca (UK), Novartis AG (Switzerland), among others. Don't miss out on business opportunities in Precision Diagnostics & Medicine Market. Speak to our analyst and gain crucial industry insights that will help your business grow.
Canada News.Net
2 days ago
- Canada News.Net
Filmmaker partners with Colossal Biosciences to recreate lost species
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa has led to a surprising new partnership with U.S.-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences, which aims to bring back extinct species through genetic engineering Jackson, best known for directing The Lord of the Rings, owns one of the world's largest private collections of bones from the moa. This week, Colossal announced a new project to re-create a bird resembling the South Island giant moa, a towering creature that once stood up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall. The project has received US$15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh and includes collaboration with New Zealand's Ngāi Tahu Research Centre. "The movies are my day job; the moa are my fun thing," Jackson said. "Every New Zealand schoolchild grows up fascinated by the moa." While scientists doubt extinct animals can be truly brought back, some believe it's possible to alter existing species to resemble them genetically. Still, there are concerns that efforts like this may take attention and resources away from conserving living endangered species. Moa lived in New Zealand for thousands of years before being hunted to extinction about 600 years ago. International interest in the bird spiked in the 19th century when a complete skeleton was sent to England, now housed in the Yorkshire Museum. Jackson became involved with Colossal after learning of its efforts to "de-extinct" species like the woolly mammoth and dire wolf. He connected the company with scientists he had met through his collection of 300 to 400 moa bones. In New Zealand, moa bones can be traded if found on private land, but cannot be exported or taken from public conservation areas. The project's first step is to identify well-preserved moa bones that may contain extractable DNA, said Colossal's chief scientist, Beth Shapiro. The DNA will be compared with that of living ground-dwelling birds like the emu and tinamou to determine what made the moa unique. Shapiro said re-creating a bird is harder than re-creating a mammal because birds develop inside eggs. Applying techniques like CRISPR to avian embryos faces scientific hurdles. Even if a moa-like bird is created, Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm questioned its viability. "Where would you put it?" he asked, noting the challenges of reintroducing extinct species. "This would be a very dangerous animal." Ngāi Tahu researchers are helping guide the project, linking it to Māori traditions and heritage. Moa bones and ancient Māori rock art at sites like Pyramid Valley add cultural depth to the work. "He doesn't just collect moa bones," said Canterbury Museum curator Paul Scofield. "He has a comprehensive collection."
National Observer
4 days ago
- National Observer
Canadian universities must do a better job encouraging private sector research
Canada should take advantage of the US-created economic storm to stimulate innovation. Under the Trump administration, constraints put on US universities and cuts to research grants have put US research and innovation at risk. In light of this, Canadian education leaders need to underscore that investing in higher education will yield economic and societal returns. To do so, we need to change how research and education work with innovators. Until recently, university leaders argued that government investments in university research directly lead to innovation and productivity growth. But universities have adopted policies that encourage the sale of Canadian-funded patents to foreign firms without economic benefits to Canada. This needs to change. To feed Canada's innovation capacity and competitiveness, investing in universities is necessary for training skilled workers, developing research assets and creating partnerships between academic institutions, industry and philanthropy. Canadian universities have an excellent track record of creating and preserving knowledge, but a poor one for helping innovators to develop products and services. Universities not only create and preserve knowledge, but make that knowledge available through databases, articles and digital assets. Further, they play an important brokering role between the public and private sectors in developing high-value goods and services. University leaders need to change the way universities interact with industry by prioritizing partnerships over technology transfer; simplifying contractual arrangements with industry around intellectual property; and building knowledge resources to support Canadian innovation. Industry-university partnerships not only contribute to local innovation ecosystems, but bring in approximately 50 times more revenue to universities ($2.7 billion in 2018: $1.2 billion from for-profit and $1.5 billion for not-for-profits) than does the patenting and licensing of inventions ($54.4 million in 2018). Through these partnerships, industry gains insight into cutting-edge technology and companies are better able to anticipate technological problems and opportunities. In the end, the public benefits as these firms not only introduce technology that boosts productivity but pay higher salaries. Canadian examples include partnerships in aerospace, structural genomics, artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted drug development. Canadian universities have an excellent track record of creating and preserving knowledge, but a poor one for helping innovators to develop products and services, write Richard Gold, Marc Fortin, Evan Henry and Martin Bader Canadian universities and industry have been tepid toward partnerships. According to World Bank data, industry-university partnerships in Canada have been declining since 2010. Apart from changing incentives for industry to collaborate, universities and governments need to reward researchers who engage in long-term partnerships with industry. Universities also contribute to Canadian productivity by spinning out companies that draw on research. The process has been overly complicated. Universities can simplify this by adopting standard licensing, such as the Simple Agreement for Innovation Licensing, that reduces negotiation time and provides a sound financial basis for companies. Another approach is to rely on expertise, rather than patents, to spin out a company. This has been successful at the University of Toronto in engineering and is how STEMCELL, now with 1,500 employees worldwide, got its start. Another example is Conscience 's Critical Assessment of Computational Hit-finding Experiments (CACHE) competitions, which are run out of the Structural Genomics Consortium's Toronto labs. CACHE puts all data and test molecules in the public domain to assist firms to better design proprietary AI models. Companies need access to knowledge resources and talent along with access to large datasets, materials and models that universities can provide. According to its curator, approximately two-thirds of the users of the Montreal Neurological Institute's C-BIG repository of cells and data are innovative companies. Artificial Intelligence-Ready CHEmiCal Knowledge base (AIRCHECK) is a Canadian-based dataset on which AI companies can train and validate their models. The Distributed Robot Interaction Dataset (DROID) helps researchers and companies to train AI robots. While these datasets are open to all — subject only to patient privacy — they confer a specific benefit on companies located nearby. With US research funding in disarray, Canadian universities have an opportunity to support Canadian companies to better compete globally by prioritizing partnerships, simplifying arrangements with industry, and by building critical knowledge resources. It is time to embrace a ' dare to change ' ethos. Richard Gold is the director of McGill University's Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and chief policy and partnerships officer at Conscience. Marc Fortin is a Trottier Institute for Science and Public Policy professor of practice at McGill University. Evan Henry is the associate director of the McGill Sustainability Systems Initiative and was the co-founder and chief science officer of Nectar Technologies.
