- casualSTEM
- Posts
- Woolly Mice? Scientists Use CRISPR to Bring Mammoth Traits Back
Woolly Mice? Scientists Use CRISPR to Bring Mammoth Traits Back
STEM Snacks

casualSTEM delivers brief and informative summaries of the latest science news every Saturday. Full of jokes, silly polls, and a cartoon!
Get the weekly email that explains science in sweatpants. Stay smart for free.


created by Steve Burgess w/ chatGPT
Mousey Mammoth
What if we crossed mammoths with mice? Colossal Biosciences genetically engineered a woolly mouse to find out.
Used CRISPR to edit 7 hair and fat genes
Woolly mice fur is 3x longer and thicker than normal
Proof of concept for recreating extinct traits
Fur modification are a major step towards Colossal Bioscience’s goal of reintroducing woolly mammoths by genetically editing modern Asian elephants. Though ethical and ecological considerations must be sorted before we see wandering woollies.
Reply