Farshid Jalalvand: There is no giant wolf

In my teenage son’s room there is a small hidden space between the bed and the wall, called the Bermuda Triangle. Before cleaning, visits and other events that require removing, the Bermuda Triangle is invaluable to the boy – it can swallow everything that has not previously had a specified place. Will it be cleaned up? No. Does it look out? Yes.

Surface is, as you know, everything. And it’s not just my son who mastered the art of potemkinkuliss. Nowadays, the world’s leading biotech companies are engaged in the same thing.

In early April, the magazine Time released a number whose cover was adorned with a white wolf that defiantly stared at the reader. The word « extinct » was overstretched by a thick, red line. Below it said: « This is Remus. He is a huge wolf. The first to exist in over 10,000 years. »

I jumped. I knew before that the curious interest in resurrecting extinct species was great. But that biotechnology had taken such a leap that researchers could abolish the extinction of prehistoric species would certainly be huge. The possibilities of such genetic engineering would be almost endless. I threw myself over the article.

Unfortunately, mine came Expectations quickly for shame. The company Colossal Biosciences, which had produced Remus (as well as two copies named Romulus and Khaleesi – notice the mythological and pop -cultural references), certainly had used state -of -the -art genetic engineering, but it was not a resurrection of the giant wolf. Instead, the company had managed to map smaller parts of the extinct animal’s heritage mass from fossils (undoubtedly a feat). Subsequently, they had changed 14 out of about 19,000 genes in the ordinary gray wolf’s DNA genes, which, among other things, affected the color of the fur and the size of the animal-and had a dog-tik feed them. In other words, they had created a slightly changed gray wolf which on the surface reminded of the extinct giant wolf.

It would basically be the same as transferring 14 genes from human to chimpanzee and claiming that you have created a homo sapiens.

The criticism from research holds did not wait: Fake newsit was proclaimed in different parts of social media. Others I discussed with private were more positive: Admittedly, this was not the return of the giant wolf, but it was a small step in the right direction to recreate the biodiversity that was lost due to human activity or natural disasters.

A phenomenally successful PR jippo for the company that will use the technology for significantly more lucrative purposes than preservation of endangered species

Colossal Biosciences Scientific manager Beth Shapiro himself made definition of acrobatics to RO PR campaign in port. And let’s not humble what the project is: A phenomenally successful PR jippo for the company that will use the technology they develop for significantly more lucrative purposes than preservation of endangered species.

« Our giant wolves have key properties that made the giant wolf a giant wolf, » Beth Shapiro said in the Time Article. « According to that definition, our animals are giant wolves. »

Unfortunately, definition of species does not work that way. I think above all the genetic phenomenon Pleiotropy. This means that each individual gene affects many different properties, usually in discrete ways. Complex properties such as animals’ instincts and cognitive abilities arise through the overall effect of hundreds of genes that are slowly pushed out by chance to reinforce certain features and weaken others.

In people, for example, people have seen that genes involved in calcium transport affects cognition. Some variants of these genes lead to increased risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. An organism’s genetic material should almost be seen as the notes for an entire symphony, rather than for individual melodies.

Genely changing 14 out of 19,000 genes can give the impression of recreating the giant wolf, but such interventions will not preserve or restore the earth’s biodiversity. It is misleading to say that the giant wolf was only a large and white variant of gray wolf. This article in Time may end up in the Bermuda Triangle, along with the rest of the rubbish.

Read more by Farshid Jalavand:

The ideal man has a lot of money and banana scraps in the face

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Farshid Jalalvand: Already the alchemists had a megalomanical quest to tame nature