Thylacine Aliyetoweka (Tiger Tasmanian) atafufuliwa

Ever changing environment leads to extinction of the animals unfit to survive in the changed environment and favours survival of the fittest which culminate in evolution of a new species. However, thylacine (commonly known as Tasmanian tiger or Tasmanian wolf), a marsupial carnivore mammal indigenous to Australia that became extinct about a century ago, not due to natural process of kikaboni evolution, but due to human influence may become de-extinct and live again in about a decade time. Last living thylacine died in 1936 but luckily, many embryos and young specimens were found suitably preserved in the museums. Thylacine genome has already been successfully sequenced using thylacine DNA extracted from 108-year-old specimen preserved at the Victoria Museum in Australia. The research team has recently tied up with a biotech firm to accelerate the efforts of resurrection.

Maabara ya Chuo Kikuu cha Melbourne ya Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research (TIGRR) imeshirikiana na Sayansi kubwa ya Baiolojia, kampuni ya uhandisi jeni ili kuharakisha juhudi za kufufua simbamarara wa Tasmanian (Thylacinus cynocephalus). Chini ya mpango huo, TIGRR Lab ya Chuo Kikuu itazingatia kuanzisha teknolojia ya uzazi iliyoundwa kulingana na marsupials wa Australia, kama vile IVF na ujauzito bila mtu mwingine, wakati Colossal Bioscience itatoa uhariri wao wa jeni wa CRISPR na rasilimali za biolojia ya kukokotoa ili kuzalisha tena DNA ya thylacine.

Thylacine ( Thylacinus cynocephalus ) ni mamalia aliyetoweka ambaye alizaliwa Australia. Alijulikana kama simbamarara wa Tasmania kwa sababu ya mgongo wake wa chini uliovuliwa. Ilikuwa na sura kama ya mbwa kwa hivyo ilijulikana pia kama mbwa mwitu wa Tasmanian.

Ilitoweka kutoka bara la Australia karibu miaka 3000 iliyopita kutokana na uwindaji wa binadamu na ushindani na dingo lakini idadi ya watu ilistawi kwenye kisiwa cha Tasmania. Idadi yao huko Tasmania ilianza kupungua baada ya kuwasili kwa walowezi wa Kizungu ambao waliwatesa kwa utaratibu kwa tuhuma za kuua mifugo. Matokeo yake, thylacine ikawa haiko. Thylacine wa mwisho alikufa akiwa utumwani mnamo 1936.

Unlike many extinct animals like dinosaurs, the thylacine did not become extinct due to natural process of kikaboni evolution and natural selection. Their extinction was human caused, a direct result of hunting and killing by the people in the recent past. Thylacine was apex predator in the local food chain thus responsible for stabilising ecosystem. Also, Tasmanian habitat is relatively unchanged since thylacine became extinct so when re-introduced they can easily reoccupy their niche. All these factors make thylacine a fit candidate for de-extinction or resurrection.

Mpangilio wa jenomu ni hatua ya kwanza na muhimu sana katika juhudi za kutoweka. Thylacine ya mwisho ilikufa mnamo 1936 hata hivyo viinitete vingi na vielelezo vyachanga vilipatikana vimehifadhiwa katika vyombo vya habari vinavyofaa katika makumbusho. TIGRR Lab iliweza kutoa DNA ya thylacine kutoka kwa kielelezo cha umri wa miaka 108 kilichohifadhiwa katika Jumba la Makumbusho la Victoria huko Australia. Kwa kutumia DNA hii iliyotolewa, jenomu ya thylacine ilipangwa mnamo 2018 na kusasishwa mnamo 2022.

Mlolongo wa thylacine genome inafuatwa na kupanga jenomu ya dunnart na kutambua tofauti. Dunnart ni jamaa wa karibu wa kijeni wa thylacine wa familia ya dasyuridae, ambaye kiini cha yai kutoka kwa seli kama ya Thylacine kitahamishwa.

Hatua inayofuata ni kuunda 'seli kama thylacine'. Kwa msaada wa CRISPR na teknolojia zingine za uhandisi wa kijeni, jeni za thylacine zitaingizwa kwenye jenomu ya Dasyurid. Hii itafuatiwa na uhamisho wa kiini cha seli-kama-thylacine hadi yai la Dasyurid lililotolewa kwa kutumia seli ya somatic. uhamisho wa nyuklia (SCNT) teknolojia. Yai lenye kiini kilichohamishwa litafanya kazi kama zygote na kukua na kuwa kiinitete. Ukuaji wa kiinitete hukuzwa katika hali ya asili hadi inakuwa tayari kuhamishwa kwa mbadala. Kiinitete kilichokua kitapandikizwa ndani ya mtu mwingine akifuatiwa na hatua za kawaida za ujauzito, kukomaa na kuzaliwa.

Licha ya maendeleo makubwa katika teknolojia ya uhandisi wa urithi na uzazi, ufufuo wa mnyama aliyetoweka bado ni changamoto isiyowezekana. Mambo mengi yanapendelea mradi wa kutoweka kwa thylacine; labda jambo muhimu zaidi ni uchimbaji wa mafanikio wa DNA ya thylacine kutoka kwa kielelezo cha makumbusho kilichohifadhiwa. Pumziko ni teknolojia. Kwa upande wa wanyama kama dinosauri, kutoweka kabisa haiwezekani kwa sababu hakuna njia ya kutoa DNA ya dinosaur muhimu ili kupanga jeni la dinosaur.

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