Overview
- Colossal Biosciences, which disclosed Thursday it had quietly worked on the project since 2024, named the bluebuck its sixth de-extinction target.
- The team assembled a high-coverage bluebuck genome from a Swedish museum specimen and confirmed the roan antelope as its closest living relative.
- The company says it created induced pluripotent stem cells from roan antelope and successfully collected antelope eggs using ovum pickup, a needle-guided ultrasound technique.
- Scientists report they are editing roan cells to add bluebuck variants and plan to create embryos for implantation into roan surrogates, which carry calves for about nine months.
- Colossal is working with groups in South Africa, including the Endangered Wildlife Trust, on habitat and reintroduction planning as outside experts question feasibility, ecological fit, and whether engineered proxies count as true de-extinction.