Scientists aim to revive the extinct Tasmanian tiger by 2036

Scientists from Australia and the United States are working to revive the Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine, through advanced genome reconstruction. The project aims to produce the first genetically engineered animals by 2036.

Led by geneticist Andrew Pask from the University of Melbourne in collaboration with the American biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences, the initiative utilizes DNA recovered from museum and university specimens. Rather than traditional cloning, which requires living cells, researchers are using genome editing and artificial intelligence to modify the DNA of a living relative to incorporate key genetic traits of the extinct predator.

The effort comes as the scientific community marks 90 years since the death of the last known Tasmanian tiger in a Hobart zoo in 1936. The species was driven to extinction by hunting, habitat loss, and disease.