Genetic Rescue for Extinct and Endangered Wildlife

Stewart Brand and Ryan Phelan seek to restore extinct species to their former homes in the wild. Their organization Revive & Restore's flagship project The Great Passenger Pigeon Comeback is underway to bring the iconic passenger pigeon back from extinction using the genome of the band-tailed pigeon and genomic technology. Not shying away from the gargantuan challenges of de-extinction, the organization is pushing forward an endeavor to recreate the woolly mammoth in order to generate ecosystem changes capable of altering adverse climate change on a global scale. These audacious projects also advance the use of biotechnology for the genetic rescue of existing endangered species, such as Revive & Restore's newest project: the endangered black-footed ferret.