The Wild with Chris Morgan Back to the future: Genetically modified wildlife
Feb 10, 2026
Dr. Helen Pilcher, neuroscientist-turned-science communicator and author of Bring Back the King, untangles the fuss around de-extinction and genetic edits. She contrasts dramatic headlines with what was actually made. Short takes cover CRISPR edits, cloning and gene drives, real conservation uses versus publicity projects, museum DNA tricks, biosecurity risks, and the thorny ethics of changing wild genomes.
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De-Extinction Is Not Resurrection
- Genetically modified wildlife aims to create new versions of species, not true originals, by editing existing genomes.
- Helen Pilcher warns media hype (e.g., dire wolf) often misrepresents scientific reality and scope.
How The Dire Wolf Story Played Out
- Colossal Biosciences edited grey wolf cells to make coat, size, and muscle changes, then used a dog surrogate to birth modified wolves.
- Pilcher calls the result genetically modified grey wolves, not true dire wolves, and criticizes the publicity angle.
Genetic Rescue As Conservation Tool
- Genetic rescue repurposes de-extinction tools to boost survival traits in living species facing rapid environmental change.
- Pilcher frames GM as a targeted tool to add disease resistance or climate tolerance where natural adaptation is too slow.
