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In this newsletter

• Researchers Successfully Breed Woolly Mice

• Lander Athena has ceased functioning

• Canada saw its first-ever rare 'tooth-in-eye' surg …

• New ‘titanosaur’ discovered in Patagonia

Researchers Successfully Breed Woolly Mice

Though mammoths vanished 4,000 years ago, their DNA is now active in lab-bred mice at Colossal Laboratories. These mice exhibit woolly hair and a mammoth-like fat metabolism. It is achieved through gene editing which brings the company closer to its goal of reviving the mammoth by 2028. According to CEO Ben Lamm, the woolly mouse proves Colossal's capacity to engineer complex mammoth-derived traits, marking a major milestone in their de-extinction mission.

Mammoths' recent extinction and Arctic habitat have allowed for excellent DNA preservation in permafrost, making them ideal for de-extinction. Colossal has compiled genomes from around 60 recovered mammoths. To revive mammoths, scientists plan to edit elephant embryo with mammoth DNA and gestate it in an elephant for 22 months. 

Researchers used CRISPR to introduce mammoth genes for coat texture, color, and fat metabolism into mice. They used both stem cell and zygote editing, and the process was experimental. After five experiments, 38 mice with mammoth traits were born from 250 embryos. 

The report was first carried by Time. 

Lander Athena has ceased functioning

Just a day after its lunar arrival, Intuitive Machines' Athena lander has gone offline. It was intended for a water-hunting mission at the moon's south pole. Athena was designed to operate for 10 days at Mons Mouton, 100 miles away from the moon’s South Pole but was powered down after just one. This was due to a sideways landing, confirmed by its final images, which prevented it from functioning as planned.

Intuitive Machines highlighted Athena's successful 'southernmost lunar landing' and data transmission, as well as its contribution to NASA's PRIME-1 objectives, despite its limited operation. NASA confirmed PRIME-1's drill successfully demonstrated its full range of motion on the lunar surface. PRIME-1 sensors detected gases from the lander, according to NASA.

Athena's early failure mirrors Intuitive Machines' previous mission, Odysseus, which also landed sideways in the lunar south pole. Like Odysseus, which operated for six days with limited data due to antenna issues, Athena faced a premature shutdown. Additionally, Athena landed 820 feet off target, a detail initially undisclosed.

Intuitive Machines will spend the next 30 days analyzing Athena's data, a process CEO Steve Altemus called a 'hot wash,' to identify successes and failures for future missions. While a third lunar mission (IM-3) was planned for next year, Altemus indicated this might be adjusted as they pursue a lunar data relay satellite contract.

The report was published in CNN.  

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Canada saw its first-ever rare 'tooth-in-eye' surgery

Three Canadians regained sight through an innovative 'tooth-in-eye' surgery. Called osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis, this procedure was developed by Italian ophthalmologist Benedetto Strampelli in the 1960s and uses one’s own teeth to create a specialized lens.

The first step involves extracting a canine which is then carefully shaved to form a rectangular layer with a hole drilled in its center. After the tooth-derived frame is prepared, a small telescopic lens is inserted, and the entire implant is temporarily placed in the patient's cheek, allowing new tissue to develop around it. Subsequently, scar tissue is removed from the eye, and healthy cheek tissue is grafted in its place. Finally, the lens implant is positioned within the eye socket, beneath the grafted tissue, to restore partial vision.

This surgical technique is effective only when severe corneal blindness results from surface-level trauma, sparing the retina and optic nerves. 

The insights were published in the CBC program As It Happens. 

New ‘titanosaur’ discovered in Patagonia

Paleontologists have unearthed a new long-necked dinosaur species, named Chadititan calvoi, near an Argentinian salt flat. This 'titan of the salt' is estimated to have been 22 feet long and lived approximately 78 million years ago. 

The well-preserved bones of the species suggest it was a small, slender herbivore, distinct from other titanosaurs. The distinction was due to its elongated vertebrae and delicate limbs. It belonged to the Rinconsaurian group. Chadititan bones, found in Argentina's Anacleto Formation, were among fossils of various ancient creatures, including new snail species. The area was once a pond in an arid, tropical environment.

The identified fossils of mollusks, fish, and turtles, in conjunction with Chadititan, has greatly improved our knowledge of the ancient Patagonian ecosystem from the end of the dinosaur era. Differences in turtle and crocodile populations indicate Patagonia's unique Cretaceous environment. Despite the region's dinosaur richness during the Cretaceous, researchers found over 90% of fossils were freshwater turtles, a surprising discovery.

By further studying the area, researchers aim to expand knowledge of late Cretaceous Patagonian vertebrates.It will also contribute to understanding South American extinction patterns and their global links through an animal database.

The findings were published in National Geographic.

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Until next time,
Adya