02 | Artificial Evolution: Genetically Modified Marsupials

Science Friction

Earlier this year, a US biotech company claimed it had brought back a long-extinct species - the dire wolf, which roamed ancient America thousands of years ago.

And the same editing technology that remade dire wolves could also be used to stop Australian species from going extinct.

In episode two of Artificial Evolution, Pete heads to the labs that are safeguarding the genetic material of unique Australian species and working to bring back the thylacine.

And visits the researchers working on quolls to make them immune to cane toad toxins and experimenting with putting alpaca genes into endangered frogs to protect them from a deadly fungal disease.

As this new field of science opens up opportunities to edit endangered species … can and should we act? And do we have our priorities wrong in tackling species loss and climate change?

Artificial Evolution is a four-part series from Science Friction about how gene technologies are changing the world around us.

You can hear more episodes of Science Friction with journalist Peter de Kruijff about DNA, cloning, genetic modification and gene editing on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits:

• Presenter: Peter de Kruijff
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Angie Grant
• Archives Researcher: Lisa Chidlow

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Whadjuk Noongar and Menang Noongar peoples.