Latest news with #geneticdiversity
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Dire Wolf Company's Next Target? A Giant Flightless Bird
It has taken no end of imagination for Sir Peter Jackson, the Academy Award winning—and, not incidentally, knighted—director of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, to produce his entire body of cinematic work. It's a quality Jackson has had since he was a small child, when he would conjure up visions of the future. 'When I was a kid [I dreamed of] personal jet packs and flying cars and things,' Jackson said in a recent conversation with TIME. 'One of those other things I always dreamed of was to be able to bring back extinct species.' No-go on the jet packs and the flying cars. But the business of de-extinction? That's very much happening. In April, the Dallas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences announced that it had successfully brought back the dire wolf, an animal whose howl had not been heard on Earth since the last member of the species vanished more than 10,000 years ago. Three young dire wolves currently live on a 2,000-acre preserve in an undisclosed location to protect them from the media and curiosity-seekers, and Colossal aims to produce more of the animals, with the ultimate goal of perhaps rewilding the species. Read more: The Return of the Dire Wolf The company is not stopping there. Colossal also wants to bring back the dodo, the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger—or thylacine—and more. The goal is both to increase genetic diversity and to hone genetic editing techniques to fortify existing but threatened species. Now, Colossal has announced one more species to add to its growing menagerie: the emu-like moa, a giant flightless bird that stood up to 12 ft. (3.6 m) tall, tipped the scales at more than 500 lbs (230 kg), and once ranged across New Zealand, before it was hunted to extinction by humans about 600 years ago. Like the moa, Jackson is a native New Zealander; 'I am a very proud kiwi,' he says. He is also a Colossal investor and acted as intermediary and facilitator bringing the company into partnership on the moa project with the Ngāi Tahu Research Center, a group that was founded in 2011 to foster intellectual development and conduct scientific studies for and by the Ngāi Tahu tribe of the Indigenous Māori people. 'Some of those iconic species that feature in our tribal mythology, our storytelling, are very near and dear to us,' says Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis, who is working on the moa de-extinction project. 'Participation in scientific research, species management, and conservation has been a large part of our activities.' 'This is completely a Māori initiative,' adds Ben Lamm, CEO and co-founder of Colossal. 'We feel like the Colossal team is an extension of the research center and the Māori.' Bringing back the moa would have implications not only for the species itself but for the environment it once inhabited and could again. The bird was what is known as a cornerstone species, one whose grazing and browsing helped prune and shape the jungle flora. Moas were also prolific dispersers of seeds from the plants they ate. The loss of the species not only eliminated that forest-restoring function, but also led to the related extinction of the Haast's eagle, which relied almost exclusively on the moa as prey. Restoring the moa would not bring the eagle back but could help at least partly restore the primal New Zealand woodlands. Bringing back the moa is of a piece with Colossal's other work, which seeks not only to restore vanished species, but to prevent related ones from slipping over the event horizon of extinction. Genetic engineering mastered in the dire wolf project, for example, is being used to edit greater diversity into the genome of the endangered red wolf. Knowledge gained in the effort to bring back the thylacine could similarly help preserve the related northern quoll. 'There are some species of birds on the South Island of New Zealand that are endangered due to the fact that they have reduced gene pools,' says Paul Scofield, senior curator of natural history at Canterbury Museum, author of 20 papers on the moa genome, and one of the scientists working on the de-extinction project. 'Some of the technology that Colossal is working with is very applicable to them.' Read more: Scientists Have Bred Woolly Mice on Their Journey to Bring Back the Mammoth That technology is decidedly challenging. De-extincting the dire wolf involved sequencing ancient DNA collected from fossil specimens and then rewriting the genome of cells from a gray wolf to resemble the extinct species with the lost ancient genes. The edited nucleus was then inserted into a domestic dog ovum whose own nucleus had been removed. That ovum was allowed to develop into an embryo in the lab and then implanted into the womb of a surrogate domestic dog, which carried the dire wolf pup to term.' Bringing back the extinct moa is harder since the incubating will be done outside the body, inside an egg. The first step in this work once again calls for sequencing the genome of the extinct target species and once again turning to a closely related living species—either the tinamou or the emu—for help. Colossal scientists will extract primordial germ cells—or cells that develop into egg and sperm—from a tinamou or emu embryo and rewrite their genome to match key features of the moa. Those edited cells will then be introduced into another embryonic tinamou or emu inside an egg. If all goes to plan, the cells will travel to the embryo's gonads, transforming them so that the females produce eggs and the males produce sperm not of the host species but of the moa. The result will be an emu or tinamou that hatches, grows up, mates, and produces eggs containing moa chicks. 'We've had some pretty big successes so far,' says Lamm. 'We have a breeding colony of tinamous but not emus, but have access to emu eggs through the many breeders out there." None of this means that the work is remotely done. Lamm concedes it could be up to ten years before a moa once again walks New Zealand—though it could come sooner. 'I'd rather underpromise and overdeliver,' he says. For now, Colossal and the Ngāi Tahu Research Center are still working to sequence the moa genome, and to do that they have to get their hands on more DNA samples. Museum specimens of moa remains satisfy some of that demand, but DNA degrades significantly over the centuries and what can't be harvested from private collections has to be dug up in field excavations—with a special eye to long, DNA-rich moa bones like the femur and tibia. 'There are a couple of really significant fossil sites, particularly one in North Canterbury, about an hour north of Christchurch,' says Scofield. 'So far we've sampled more than 60 individuals.' If those don't prove sufficient, he adds, 'we will have to go out and dig some more holes.' None of this comes cheap, and while Lamm does not disclose the exact funding for the moa de-extinction project, he does say it is an eight-figure sum. 'I saw the new Jurassic World movie and someone in it says it costs $72 million to bring back one animal,' he says. 'I was like, 'That's probably accurate.'' That up-front expenditure could pay off handsomely down the line, boosting ecotourism to New Zealand and benefiting Colossal's basic research, which is already showing for-profit potential. So far, Colossal has spun off two new companies: One, called Breaking, uses engineered microbes and enzymes to break down plastic waste. The other, Form Bio, provides AI and computational biology platforms for drug development. But it's the intangibles—the wonder of midwifing a long-extinct species back to the global family of extant ones—that is Colossal's and the Māori's most transcendent work. 'This has an excitement value to it that movies don't have,' says Jackson. 'When I see a living moa for the first time I'm going to be absolutely amazed beyond anything I've ever felt.' Write to Jeffrey Kluger at
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Angle PLC Announces Parsortix Enables Study Of Cancer Progression
New publication in Nature Genetics using Parsortix identifies CTC clusters as promising targets to stop the spread of cancer GUILDFORD, SURREY / / July 8, 2025 / ANGLE plc (AIM:AGL)(OTCQX:ANPCY), a world-leading liquid biopsy company with innovative circulating tumour cell (CTC) solutions for use in research, drug development and clinical oncology, is pleased to announce the publication of a peer-reviewed article in Nature Genetics by Professor Nicola Aceto's team at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. The study utilised the Parsortix® system to investigate the genetic diversity of CTC clusters. Understanding the genetic diversity of CTC clusters is of clinical importance because these cells are the precursors of progressive disease and metastasis. Cancer is a highly dynamic process, and cells are known to diversify over time due to treatment selection pressure and the accumulation of genetic changes. This leads to the emergence and expansion of new subclones with distinct characteristics and varying abilities to survive and proliferate. This process is crucial because it drives cancer development, progression, resistance to therapy, and relapse and can help in understanding how to develop effective cancer treatments. This publication provides evidence of genetic diversity in CTC clusters in breast cancer patient samples and preclinical mouse models. It includes the finding that some mutations were exclusive to specific cells within CTC clusters that could therefore be missed by a tissue biopsy. The research in mouse models reports a higher prevalence of CTC clusters in high-complexity tumours, with large CTC clusters associated with higher genetic diversity. The genetic diversity reported in this publication points to CTC clusters as key contributors to genetic diversity in metastasis. The authors believe that genetic diversity within CTC clusters enhances their metastatic capability by increasing therapy resistance opportunities, evasion of immune cell attack, as well as adaptability and survival at a metastatic site. CTC clusters are therefore important targets to stop the spread of cancer given these are up to 100 times more metastatic than individual CTCs, with metastatic spread responsible for more than 90% of cancer related deaths. The authors conclude that CTC clusters carry cells from different tumour clones, and that the assessment of CTCs and CTC clusters using the Parsortix system may provide insights into genetic diversity that overcomes the spatial and temporal limitations associated with traditional tissue biopsy. ANGLE's Chief Scientific Officer, Karen Miller, commented:"We are pleased to see the Parsortix system being used to progress understanding of the role of CTC clusters in cancer progression and specifically the role of genetic diversity in enhancing their metastatic ability. This work builds on the Aceto lab's pioneering investigation into understanding CTC clusters and targeted therapy to halt the spread of cancer by targeting CTC clusters." For further information: ANGLE plcAndrew Newland, Chief ExecutiveIan Griffiths, Finance Director +44 (0) 1483 343434 Berenberg (NOMAD and Broker)Toby Flaux, Ciaran Walsh, Milo Bonser +44 (0) 20 3207 7800 FTI ConsultingSimon Conway, Ciara MartinMatthew Ventimiglia (US) +44 (0) 203 727 1000+1 (212) 850 5624 For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. For Frequently Used Terms, please see the Company's website on Notes for editors About ANGLE plc ANGLE is a world-leading liquid biopsy company with innovative circulating tumour cell (CTC) solutions for use in research, drug development and clinical oncology using a simple blood sample. ANGLE's FDA cleared and patent protected CTC harvesting technology known as the Parsortix® PC1 System enables complete downstream analysis of the sample including whole cell imaging and proteomic analysis and full genomic and transcriptomic molecular analysis. ANGLE's commercial businesses are focusing on clinical services and diagnostic products. The clinical services business is offered through ANGLE's GCLP-compliant laboratories. Services include custom made assay development and clinical trial testing for pharma. Products include the Parsortix system, associated consumables and assays. Over 100 peer-reviewed publications have demonstrated the performance of the Parsortix system. For more information, visit Any reference to regulatory authorisations such as FDA clearance, CE marking or UK MHRA registration shall be read in conjunction with the full intended use of the product: The Parsortix® PC1 system is an in vitro diagnostic device intended to enrich circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood collected in K2EDTA tubes from patients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. The system employs a microfluidic chamber (a Parsortix cell separation cassette) to capture cells of a certain size and deformability from the population of cells present in blood. The cells retained in the cassette are harvested by the Parsortix PC1 system for use in subsequent downstream assays. The end user is responsible for the validation of any downstream assay. The standalone device, as indicated, does not identify, enumerate or characterize CTCs and cannot be used to make any diagnostic/prognostic claims for CTCs, including monitoring indications or as an aid in any disease management and/or treatment decisions. This information is provided by Reach, the non-regulatory press release distribution service of RNS, part of the London Stock Exchange. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@ or visit SOURCE: ANGLE plc View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
South China Morning Post
02-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
China boosts research of Southeast Asian populations overlooked in Human Genome Project
For more than two decades, the Human Genome Project (HGP) – a landmark scientific endeavour led by Western nations – mapped humanity's genetic blueprint, yet the rich diversity of Southeast Asia was overlooked. Despite being home to nearly 300 million people, including the world's largest indigenous population, mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA) contributed a mere 1.57 per cent to global genomic databases, with most data derived from diaspora communities rather than local populations. Chinese researchers say they now aim to rectify the omission. Scientists from the Kunming Institute of Zoology, an affiliate of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have spearheaded a decade-long collaboration with 34 Southeast Asian research teams, culminating in the first comprehensive genomic atlas of the region – the SEA3K data set – which was published in Nature on May 14. 02:43 Nobel Medicine Prize awarded to US duo for 'fundamentally important' discovery of microRNA Nobel Medicine Prize awarded to US duo for 'fundamentally important' discovery of microRNA The study revealed striking insights, including that MSEA populations harbour unique genetic adaptations to tropical challenges as well as distinct Denisovan ancestry linked to Russia's far east. Before China took a role in the research, fewer than 200 indigenous genomes from MSEA existed in global databases, with neighbouring India contributing most via Southeast Asian diaspora samples, according to the paper. Even city state Singapore, a regional sequencing hub, accounted for 92 per cent of the region's limited data, leaving Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam virtually invisible in the genomic era. 'For over a decade, we conducted fieldwork in Southeast Asian rainforests, adhering to local ethical protocols, fostering community engagement and documenting indigenous cultural and linguistic contexts,' corresponding author Su Bing said in an interview with China Science Daily on May 19. Researchers collected samples from Southeast Asian populations covering six countries, five prominent language families and 30 ethnic languages. They completed genome sequencing for 3,023 cases, including 40 high-accuracy long-read sequencing data.
