It is one of the world’s most notable extinct animals and can be found on Tasmania’s coat of arms, government logo and even state license plates.
Now it may not be long before true Tasmanian tigers, also known as thylacines, are seen again.
Colossal Biosciences, a US-based startup, has taken a big step towards resurrecting the lost species.
The team successfully reconstructed the animal’s genome with 99.99 percent accuracy.
Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, told MailOnline: ‘We have not publicly set a date for the thylacine, but as our announcement today shows, the team is making significant progress in many of the core research areas.’
Scientists from Colossal Biosciences say they have made a major breakthrough towards reducing the Tasmanian Tiger. This image shows how this process will work
The last living Tasmanian tiger, or Thylacine, died in captivity at Beumaris Zoo (pictured) in 1936
To save the Tasmanian Tiger from extinction, scientists must first reconstruct the species’ lost genome.
In an important step toward this goal, Colossal Biosciences today announced the creation of the most complete Tasmanian tiger genome ever created.
Using samples from an exceptionally well-preserved specimen, researchers were able to piece together the 3 billion bases within the Tasmanian Tiger genome with 99.9 percent accuracy.
The genome now only has 45 gaps, which Colossal says will be closed in the coming months.
Because DNA is exceptionally fragile, it normally breaks down quickly after the organism dies.
However, since the last Tasmanian tiger died less than 100 years ago, there are a number of extremely well-preserved specimens in museums around the world.
This allowed Colossal Biosciences researchers to extract long stretches of DNA from the tissues of a 110-year-old Tasmanian tiger head that had been skinned and placed in ethanol.
Dr. Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief science officer, said: ‘The thylacine samples used for our new reference genome are among the best preserved ancient specimens my team has worked with.
“It’s rare to have a sample that allows you to push the boundaries of ancient DNA methods so far.”
More than 100 years after the last Tasmanian tiger died, researchers have now recreated the species’ genome with 99.9 percent accuracy
Because Tasmanian tigers became extinct so recently, there are many well-preserved samples, such as skins (photo)
This is the first time an ancient genome has been reconstructed with such accuracy and could soon pave the way for genetically engineering the first living Tasmanian tigers.
Dr. Andre Pask, member of Colossal’s Scientific Advisory Board and head of the Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research Laboratory at the University of Melbourne, said: ‘This exceptional sample provides a fantastic opportunity for us to understand gene expression in thylacines.
“With this new resource in hand, we will be able to determine what a thylacine could taste, what it could smell, what kind of vision it had, and even how its brain functioned!”
Now that the Tasmanian Tiger’s genome has been reconstructed, the de-extinction process will begin by comparing it to their closest living relative, the fat-tailed dunnart.
Because their genomes are so similar, scientists hope to identify the “key genes” that determine whether an organism becomes more like a Tasmanian tiger or more like a dunnart.
Using gene editing techniques such as CRISPR, scientists can cut and paste these key genes into the fat-tailed dunnart’s genome to create hybrid DNA.
Cells from the fat-tailed dunnart are then chemically coaxed into becoming pluripotent stem cells – a type of cell that can turn into any type of tissue.
Scientists say this is the most complete genome ever created for an extinct animal. The genome has only 45 holes that will be closed in the coming months
By comparing these genes with the Tasmanian tiger’s closest relative, the fat-tailed dunnart (pictured), the scientists hope to identify the ‘key genes’ that make the Tasmanian tiger different from other animals.
By inserting the hybrid DNA into these cells, scientists can grow eggs, sperm or even embryos with the genetic potential to become Tasmanian tigers.
Embryos or fertilized eggs can then be introduced into a fat-tailed surrogate mother, which will carry the hybrid.
Once the embryo has developed and been born, the resulting animal should be identical to the once extinct Tasmanian Tiger.
Colossal Biosciences says it has already started using the reconstructed genome to isolate a number of crucial key genes.
For example, Colossal Biosciences has focused on the distinctive skull and jaw shape of the Tasmanian Tiger.
By comparing the reconstructed genome with the genomes of wolves and dogs, the scientists identified two sets of genes they call Thylacine Wolf Accelerated Regions (TWARs).
When three parts of the mouse genome were replaced with TWARs, researchers found they could change the shape of mice’s heads to look more like a Tasmanian tiger.
Sara Ord, director of species recovery at Colossal Biosciences, said: ‘This is crucial evidence of the power of Colossal’s approach and an important step towards eliminating Thylacine.’
Colossal Biosciences has focused on recreating the distinctive skull and jaw of the Tasmanian Tiger by identifying several ‘key genes’ responsible for this distinctive feature
Colossal Biosciences says it plans to reintroduce the Tasmanian Tiger to Tasmania so it can re-establish self-sustaining breeding populations
Colossal Biosciences has yet to say when the first Tasmanian tigers will be born, but the company has hinted that this will happen soon.
Speaking to MailOnline earlier this month, Mr Lamm said the Tasmanian Tiger project could be completed before the first mammoths are born in 2028.
Although not yet confirmed, this could mean that Tasmanian tigers are once again at risk of extinction within the next four years.
The company is so confident in achieving this goal that it is already making plans for what it will do with the newborn Tasmanian tigers.
Mr Lamm said: ‘Colossal’s aim is to completely rewild the thylacine in the ecosystem with a population so diverse that the species will not only survive, but thrive again in the wild.
‘Kolossaal is working in collaboration with conservation groups, ecologists, representatives of indigenous peoples, universities and local representatives, among others, to identify potential sites for rewilding.’
Mr Lamm added that several ecological studies were already underway and potential sites should be announced “in the next two years”.