Reviving Extinct Creatures, Ancient Scents, and Zombie Viruses: The Remarkable Scientific Achievements of 2023
Resurrection biology explores the revival of ancient organisms and molecules, uncovering potential drug sources and de-extinction possibilities From zombie viruses to ice age antibiotics, this article delves into the intriguing world of reviving the past
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This work is a significant departure from the genetically-modified dinosaurs that break free in the popular film "Jurassic Park." While some scientists aim for de-extinction and reviving extinct animals and plants, others are exploring the past for potential drug sources or raising awareness about the danger of dormant pathogens. Additionally, this area of study involves recreating aspects of human history to gain insight into the lives and deaths of our ancestors.
Here are four fascinating research projects in this emerging field that launched or made significant progress in 2023.
Reviving zombie viruses
The warming Arctic temperatures are causing the permafrost, a frozen layer of soil, to thaw, possibly releasing viruses that have been dormant for thousands of years and could pose a threat to animal and human health. Jean-Michel Claverie, a professor emeritus of medicine and genomics at Aix-Marseille University School of Medicine in Marseille, France, is studying these "zombie viruses" by reviving viruses from soil samples in Siberia to better understand the risks they present.
Cores of earth drilled from Siberian permafrost have been analyzed to detect frozen viruses.
Jean-Michel Claverie and his team at IGS/CNRS-AM successfully revived a virus in 2014 that had been isolated from the permafrost, rendering it infectious for the first time in 30,000 years by introducing it into cultured cells. Their latest research, published in February, involved isolating several strains of ancient viruses from various samples of earth, leading to the discovery of five new families of viruses. For safety precautions, they chose to study a virus that only targeted single-celled amoebas, ensuring it posed no threat to animals or humans.
P. kolymaensis, female. Scanning electron picture
Alexei V. Tchesunov and Anastasia Shatilovich/Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science RAS
A worm has been revived after 46,000 years in the Siberian permafrost
The soil sample from an underground lake, 52 feet (16 meters) below the surface, was nearly 48,500 years old based on radiocarbon dating. The youngest samples, found in the stomach contents and coat of a woolly mammoth's remains, were 27,000 years old. Claverie noted that the fact that amoeba-infecting viruses are still infectious after such a long period is a sign of a potentially serious public health threat.
Claverie explained to CNN earlier this year that they see these viruses that infect amoeba as representatives for all other viruses that could be present in the permafrost. The rationale is that if the amoeba viruses are still viable, then there is no reason why the other viruses wouldn't be too, and able to infect their own hosts.
The search for new antibiotics dates back to the ice age, according to bioengineering pioneer César de la Fuente, Presidential Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He sees the past as an opportunity to discover new ways to combat drug-resistant superbugs.
Recent advancements in the retrieval of ancient DNA from fossils have made it possible to access extensive genetic data on extinct human relatives and ancient animals. At the University of Pennsylvania, the machine biology group utilizes sophisticated computational methods to analyze this genetic information and pinpoint small protein molecules with potential antibacterial properties. Through their research, they have identified promising compounds from Neanderthals and ice age creatures like the woolly mammoth and giant sloth.
Ancient molecules, including those from extinct human relatives such as the Neanderthals, may offer hope in the fight against superbugs.
According to de la Fuente, the discovery has allowed them to find new sequences and types of molecules that were previously unknown in living organisms, which has broadened their understanding of molecular diversity. He also mentioned that since modern bacteria have not encountered these molecules before, they may offer a better chance at targeting current problematic pathogens.
The majority of antibiotics are derived from bacteria and fungi and were initially found by examining microorganisms found in soil. However, in recent years, many pathogens have developed resistance to these drugs due to excessive use.
Despite de la Fuentes unconventional approach, the need to find potential candidates has never been more crucial, with nearly 5 million deaths worldwide each year linked to microbial resistance, according to the World Health Organization.
Exploring the possibility of bringing back the dodo, woolly mammoth, and Tasmanian tiger from extinction is a potential solution to the rapid loss of species. With extinctions occurring at an alarming rate, some scientists believe that reviving these lost creatures could help mitigate the impact.
In January, Colossal Biosciences, a startup in biotechnology and genetic engineering, revealed its ambitious plan to revive the dodo, an unusual and flightless bird that inhabited the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean until its extinction in the late 17th century, and to reintroduce it to its original habitat.
The dodo is one of several extinct creatures that Colossal Biosciences is trying to resurrect.
Ranjith Jayasena
The company is also engaged in the development of equally ambitious projects involving advancements in ancient DNA sequencing, gene-editing technology, and synthetic biology to revive extinct species such as the woolly mammoth and the thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger.
Geneticists at Colossal Biosciences have identified cells in the Nicobar pigeon, the closest living relative to the dodo, that serve as precursors for ovaries or testes and have demonstrated successful growth in a chicken embryo. The scientists are currently researching the potential of these cells, known as primordial germ cells (PGCs), to develop into sperm and eggs.
Courtesy Colossal
A group of elephants without parents may hold the solution to reviving the woolly mammoth. The company aims to analyze the genetic makeup of the dodo and the Rodrigues solitaire, a similar extinct bird, to pinpoint their differences. Afterward, they will alter the PGCs of a Nicobar pigeon to exhibit the physical characteristics of a dodo.
The modified cells will be inserted into the embryos of a sterile chicken and rooster. After introducing the edited PGCs, the chicken and rooster will be able to reproduce, and their offspring should, theoretically, bear a resemblance to the dodo due to the hybridized pigeon DNA in their reproductive systems.
"The restored dodo will be physically indistinguishable from what we know of the dodo's appearance," said Matt James, chief animal officer of Colossal Biosciences, in an email to CNN in November.
The researchers may succeed in their high-stakes endeavor, but instead of replicating the dodo that lived four centuries ago, they will create an altered, hybrid form. Colossal Biosciences and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation are working together to determine the best location for the birds if the experiment is successful, although finding a suitable home may be difficult.
The dodo, one of the most famous birds in the world, remains largely unknown despite its extinction. According to Julian Hume, an avian paleontologist and research associate at London's Natural History Museum, it is impossible to know how the dodo interacted with its environment. Mauritius, the relatively small island where the dodo once lived, has changed significantly since then.
The process of recreating a species from DNA is incredibly complex, and even if it were feasible, it would likely only result in a creature similar to a dodo. Furthermore, it would require years of selective breeding to transform a small pigeon into a large, flightless bird. It's important to remember that the evolution of the dodo took millions of years to occur naturally," he added.
One of two canopic jars that are part of the Museum August Kestner's collection in Hanover, Germany, once contained the remains of ancient Egyptian noblewoman Senetnay.
Christian Tepper/Museum August Kestner
Visitors to Denmarks Moesgaard Museum can sniff the scent of an Egyptian mummification balm last used 3,500 years ago.
The alluring fragrance was replicated using ingredients found in residues left in two canopic jars unearthed in Egypt's Valley of the Kings in 1900. These jars once held the remains of Senetnay, an ancient Egyptian noblewoman. The specific recipes for the mummification process have been a subject of debate due to the lack of precise ingredients mentioned in ancient Egyptian texts.
Image 1 is a figure smelling a lotus from the tomb of Meresankh in Giza
Sean Coughlin/Institute of Philosophy/Czech Academy of Sciences
How scientists are decoding what the past smelled like
Barbara Huber, a doctoral researcher of archaeological chemistry at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany, led the investigation and used advanced analytical techniques to identify the ingredients in the ancient balms. The analysis revealed that the balms contained beeswax, plant oils, animal fats, resins, and bitumen. Additionally, compounds such as coumarin and benzoic acid were present in the balms. Coumarin, with its vanilla-like scent, is commonly found in pea plants and cinnamon, while benzoic acid is naturally occurring in resins and gums from trees and bushes.
The contents of the two jars varied slightly, suggesting the use of different ingredients for preserving different organs. In the jar holding Senetnay's lungs, researchers identified fragrant resins from larch trees, as well as a substance that could be dammar from trees in India and Southeast Asia, or resin from Pistacia trees of the cashew family.
Huber informed CNN upon publication of the research in August that the inclusion of a wide variety of ingredients, such as rare and costly substances like dammar or Pistacia tree resin, suggested that Senetnay's embalming process used extremely rare and expensive materials, indicating her exceptional societal status. The scent was later replicated with the assistance of French perfumer Carole Calvez and sensory museologist Sofia Collette Ehrich.
Huber described his first encounter with the scent as a profound and almost surreal experience. "After investing so much time in research and analysis, finally having this tangible, aromatic connection to the ancient world was deeply moving. It felt like holding a faint echo from the past."
CNNs Ashley Strickland and Tom Page contributed to this report
