Overview
- The new partnership will combine genetic research, vaccine development, and captive trials to tackle devil facial tumour disease, a contagious cancer that has cut wild populations by about 80 percent.
- Researchers plan to study a mutated devil gene linked to cancer susceptibility and may test editing or replacing that gene with one from the fat-tailed dunnart if laboratory results support the approach.
- Colossal is funding a dedicated fat-tailed dunnart colony in Hobart to serve as a safer test species for gene and vaccine work before any experiments on endangered devils.
- An oral vaccine program is progressing in parallel with genetic work and captive vaccine trials are slated to begin by the end of 2026, according to project leads.
- Scientists and partners stress multi-year, tightly controlled captive testing and stepwise monitoring before any release of genetically altered devils, with wild release not expected for many years to avoid unintended consequences.