Overview

• Colossal Biosciences has announced the creation of three wolf pups—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—engineered with traits of the extinct dire wolf using CRISPR technology.
• The pups were produced by editing 20 genetic changes into gray wolf DNA, based on ancient dire wolf fossils, and implanting embryos into surrogate dogs.
• While the company touts this as the first successful de-extinction, experts dispute the claim, describing the animals as modified gray wolves with superficial dire wolf-like characteristics.
• The wolves are being housed in a 2,000-acre secure reserve in the U.S., with no current plans for release into the wild, emphasizing the project's research focus.
• The breakthrough highlights advancements in synthetic biology but raises ethical and ecological concerns, with critics urging focus on conserving existing species rather than pursuing de-extinction.