The concept of savoring the flesh of an extinct species has long fascinated many ambitious billionaires. However, significant obstacles exist. The primary challenge is the absence of the animal itself, making it difficult to procure its meat. To overcome this, we would need to recreate the meat, which involves numerous complications—ranging from accessing DNA (which can be quite difficult for long-extinct species) to identifying the closest living relative.

Could we potentially resurrect dinosaurs? Imagine placing them in a theme park and calling it “Jurassic Park”!

Yet, even if we obtain the DNA, it isn't as simple as placing it in a test tube and expecting a prehistoric creature to develop. The DNA must be inserted into the egg of a living organism, which requires a parent capable of nurturing it into an embryo. Even then, it wouldn't be an exact replica, due to maternal influences from the surrogate.

Recently, an Australian company named Vow garnered attention for producing a meatball derived from an extinct species. However, this isn't precisely true mammoth meat. It’s more like a flavor-infused version of mammoth meat.

Let's explore Vow's methods and their potential implications for grocery store offerings in the future.

How is mammoth meat created, exactly? One of the significant hurdles in "de-extinction," or the revival of extinct species, is that the reincarnated versions won't replicate the original creatures. When Vow claims to have made "mammoth meat," they're exercising a bit of creative license.

Even with complete genetic data on a mammoth, it doesn't exist in a biological form. DNA sequences on a computer can't simply be printed out to create a living embryo, especially not an entire genome. Moreover, even if an egg were acquired, a womb is necessary for its development—a classic catch-22.

Vow's solution? Introduce select traits into the closest living relative that can act as both the egg provider and surrogate.

What Vow actually accomplished was the synthesis of a customized version of myoglobin, a prevalent iron-containing protein in muscle cells. The team at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering at the University of Queensland determined that since myoglobin significantly influences meat flavor, they would create the mammoth's variant of this protein.

However, this process also involved using myoglobin sequences from African elephants to bridge gaps in the mammoth genome. The resultant myoglobin was cultivated in sheep muscle cells, which formed the basis of the "meat" in the meatball. Ultimately, myoglobin constitutes roughly 0.6% of the total weight of lamb meat, so the "mammoth meatball" comprises less than 1% actual mammoth.

To illustrate: it’s akin to wanting to read Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Lacking the full text, you pull pages from a similar book and insert them to create a makeshift version. It’s a convoluted analogy, but it mirrors the nature of a typical meatball.

Addressing some quick inquiries about the mammoth meatball:

“How much of the meatball is genuinely mammoth?” If you consider meat solely as muscle cells, none of it qualifies. All the cells are sheep-derived, with just one protein altered. If you define meat as any part of a muscle cell, including the juices released when cutting a steak too soon, then the mammoth content is likely around 0.5–2%.

“Can I consume it?” The company advises against it, citing potential allergy risks, as no one has consumed mammoth myoglobin in thousands of years.

“Is that claim dubious?” Probably. While a rare red meat allergy exists, it typically occurs post-Lone Star tick bites, and there’s no evidence suggesting a reaction to this specific myoglobin.

If you can eat regular lamb meatballs, you could likely enjoy this variant without issue. However, the cooking conditions and time it has been left out could pose health risks from bacteria, rather than the myoglobin itself.

“Why did Vow create a meatball from mammoth myoglobin if it won’t be sold?” The company states it symbolizes loss and the future potential of cultivated meat, suggesting that it could revive flavors thought to be lost.

“Sounds dubious again.” Vow is a startup that has produced cultured quail meat but hasn’t yet received clearance for sales. This meatball appears more as a publicity stunt to enhance brand awareness ahead of the expected approval.

“Is this truly a groundbreaking innovation?” In some aspects, yes and no. While we've been capable of growing cultured cells for some time, this particular endeavor does not represent a substantial technical advancement. The significant achievement lies in producing cultured cells in large quantities.

“Has anything like this been attempted with mammoths before?” Indeed, Geltor, a Silicon Valley startup, created gummies shaped like elephants using mammoth collagen back in 2018, utilizing yeast instead of mammalian cells.

What lies ahead for the woolly mammoth? With Colossal Biosciences aiming to revive the species and Vow crafting mammoth proteins, could 2023 mark the year of the mammoth?

However, it’s essential to clarify that we aren't truly resurrecting mammoths. Instead, we are producing creatures or components that resemble mammoths in some aspects.

In these endeavors, the mammoth has not been the primary focus but rather a promotional tool:

• Vow is showcasing its ability to produce cultured meat.
• Colossal is likely honing new techniques for CRISPR embryo modifications.

Numerous articles have discussed the revival of various species, including a notable one about the dodo bird. Advocates argue that such efforts could help restore lost species and biodiversity, while critics highlight the lack of success with existing techniques and the inability to keep pace with extinctions.

Ultimately, the economic viability of a mammoth meatball, or even a living woolly mammoth, is questionable. Who would be the market? Big-game hunters and zoos likely wouldn’t suffice to recover the considerable venture capital invested.

Instead, these efforts may serve as symbolic representations, while most research funding goes toward improving gene modification techniques for livestock.

If it offers comfort, the mammoth meat likely tastes similar to mutton, as research indicates that fat components primarily shape flavor profiles.

So, enjoy a lamb meatball and convince yourself it tastes just like mammoth!