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Scientists hope to revive the extinct Tasmanian tiger

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Researchers in Australia and the US are embarking on a multi-million dollar project to bring the Tasmanian tiger back from extinction.

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Its new project is a partnership with the University of Melbourne, which earlier this year received a $5m philanthropic gift to open a thylacine genetic restoration lab.


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The ambitious project will harness advances in genetics, ancient DNA retrieval and artificial reproduction to bring back the animal.


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Once the team has successfully programmed a cell, Pask said stem cell and reproductive techniques involving dunnarts as surrogates would "turn that cell back into a living animal."

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The last known thylacine spent its days pacing a zoo cage in Hobart, Tasmania, and died of neglect in 1936.


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The thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, is the second undertaking by Colossal


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The scientists aim to reverse this by taking stem cells from a living species with similar DNA, the fat-tailed dunnart, and turning them into “thylacine” cells


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The idea of bringing back the Tasmanian tiger has been around for more than 20 years. In 1999, the Australian Museum started to pursue a project to clone the animal.


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"Our ultimate goal with this technology is to restore these species to the wild, where they played absolutely essential roles in the ecosystem.