De-Extinction......Almost

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

http://m.smh.com.au/environment/ani...s-back-into-the-gene-pool-20130315-2g68x.html

In what may be considered an early Easter miracle, an extinct species of native frog has begun its rise from the dead.

Australian scientists have grown embryos containing the revived DNA of the extinct gastric-brooding frog, the crucial first step in their attempt to bring a species back to life.

The team from the aptly named Lazarus project inserted the dead genetic material of the extinct amphibian into the donor eggs of another species of living frog, a process similar to the technique used to create the cloned sheep Dolly. The eggs continued to grow into three-day-old embryos, known as blastulas.

"This is the first time this technique has been achieved for an extinct species," said one of the project scientists, conservation biologist Michael Mahony.

While many scientists have argued it would be impossible to bring a species back from the dead like in the film Jurassic Park, the Lazarus project's breakthrough suggested the revival of extinct species was no longer the realm of science fiction.

Over five years the team led by University of NSW palaeontologist Mike Archer painstakingly inserted DNA extracted from a frozen specimen of the bizarre gastric-brooding frog, which incubated its eggs in its stomach before giving birth through its mouth, into hundreds of donor eggs from a distant relative, the great barred frog, whose DNA had been deactivated by UV light.

In the beginning, the single cell eggs "just sat there", said Professor Archer. "But then, all of a sudden, one of the cells divided, and then it divided again, and again.

"There were a lot of high fives around the laboratory at that point," said Professor Archer, who was to announce the team's achievement at the TEDxDeExtinction event in Washington on Friday.

While the embryos had yet to develop into tadpoles, genetic tests revealed the dividing cells contained the DNA of the extinct frog.

"We do expect to get this guy hopping again," Professor Archer said.
The team has also demonstrated that the cloning technique, known as somatic nuclear cell transfer, could be used to conserve the genomes of other critically endangered species, particularly frogs, whose populations have plummeted around the world.

"We haven't brought back the gastric-brooding frog yet but we've developed a tool that can stop other frogs going extinct," said Professor Mahony, from the University of Newcastle.

But the team's success so far did not come easily.

"It's not as if we're following a recipe," said Professor Archer.

The project would have remained a science fiction fantasy were it not for the foresight of Adelaide frog researcher, Mike Tyler, who froze a gastric-brooding frog specimen before it disappeared from the wild in 1979 and became extinct in 1983.

"It's a minor miracle that a university freezer hasn't been turned off in a power failure," Professor Archer said.

The leader of the technical work, Monash University reproductive biologist Andrew French, said it was also amazing the team was able to extract viable DNA from the dead frog's cells.

The annual breeding cycle of the donor egg frog also meant the team had only a few weeks a year to conduct their experiments, Dr French said.
While the results are yet to be published, the group felt it was time to talk about their success.

"We thought it was probably time to put the flag in the sand," said Professor Archer, who has previously directed attempts to revive the extinct Tasmanian tiger.

 

[NkrumahWasRight Is Wrong]

pretty dope but whyd they start with that weird ass frog lol

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

pretty dope but whyd they start with that weird ass frog lol

Semi-fresh specimen......​

The project would have remained a science fiction fantasy were it not for the foresight of Adelaide frog researcher, Mike Tyler, who froze a gastric-brooding frog specimen before it disappeared from the wild in 1979 and became extinct in 1983.

 

[NkrumahWasRight Is Wrong]

Semi-fresh specimen......​

ah i see..my error glossed over it...my morning reading skills arent as great as my night skills


wonder how many other extinct species are possible with similarly kept specimens

 

[Lord Beasley]

IMO, they shouldn't be bringing back species that were naturally extinct...i understand if they're looking to save endangered animals from poachers but some species are extinct for a reason.

 

[NkrumahWasRight Is Wrong]

IMO, they shouldn't be bringing back species that were naturally extinct...i understand if they're looking to save endangered animals from poachers but some species are extinct for a reason.

as long as they think it wont really harm the ecosystem, im all for it...eventually theyll try the same method for a dead human though..so id be cautious with that

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

Only real foreseeable problem: The organism's original habitat is gone so if they revive it, it'll just die-out again.​

 

[Jx2]

Only real foreseeable problem: The organism's original habitat is gone so if they revive it, it'll just die-out again.​

Gotta be contained in a controlled environment.

Maaaan, give it up for science . Our scientific breakthroughs are probably going to lead to our ultimate downfall but fukk if it's not exciting

If we get to witness in our lifetime the birth of the internet, the revival of extinct species, discover life on other planets and time travel, as someone who was brought up on sci-fi movies, I will be content as shyt.

 

[jadillac]

"F*ck that frog!"

 

[Field Marshall Bradley]

Gotta be contained in a controlled environment.

Maaaan, give it up for science . Our scientific breakthroughs are probably going to lead to our ultimate downfall but fukk if it's not exciting

If we get to witness in our lifetime the birth of the internet, the revival of extinct species, discover life on other planets and time travel, as someone who was brought up on sci-fi movies, I will be content as shyt.

This is what I'm waiting on...I'm sure the world will end shortly after its perfected though

 

[Mr. Somebody]

Can scientists really believe in evolution and survival of the fittest if they're Rza ressurrecting extinct animals for fun? Stop playing God. You will lose, Ivan Drago.

 

[Swagnificent]

IMO, they shouldn't be bringing back species that were naturally extinct...i understand if they're looking to save endangered animals from poachers but some species are extinct for a reason.

they're extinct cause we killed em off you fool

human activity has been the biggest reason why the current period we live in has the most mass extinctions in history

nothing wrong with making up for our mistakes

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

they're extinct cause we killed em off you fool

human activity has been the biggest reason why the current period we live in has the most mass extinctions in history

nothing wrong with making up for our mistakes

Permian

OTOH, we're wiping-out about 25 species PER DAY.

If we manage not to kill ourselves or fall victim to Grey goo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, we just might surpass that one.​

 

[Lord Beasley]

they're extinct cause we killed em off you fool

human activity has been the biggest reason why the current period we live in has the most mass extinctions in history

nothing wrong with making up for our mistakes

but we arent the cause of all mass extinctions, just most of them

you tryna see a real like jurassic park? cuz i'm sure as hell not

 

[Mr. Somebody]

Permian

OTOH, we're wiping-out about 25 species PER DAY.

If we manage not to kill ourselves or fall victim to Grey goo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, we just might surpass that one.​

Maybe thats how life on other planets become barren when there is obvious signs of human contact.