Molecular de-extinction looks to the past to find the molecules of the future.
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| Title: | Molecular de-extinction looks to the past to find the molecules of the future. |
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| Authors: | Adam, David |
| Source: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 5/26/2026, Vol. 123 Issue 21, p1-4. 4p. |
| Subjects: | Antimicrobial peptides, Fossil DNA, Bioethics, Chemical synthesis, Machine learning, Medical research, Protein synthesis, Drug resistance in bacteria |
| Abstract: | This article focuses on molecular de-extinction, a scientific approach that reconstructs proteins and peptides from extinct species’ ancient DNA to discover new biologically active molecules, particularly antimicrobial peptides. Advances in ancient DNA sequencing, synthetic chemistry, and machine learning have enabled researchers, including computational biologist César de la Fuente’s team, to identify and synthesize peptides from extinct animals such as woolly mammoths, Neanderthals, and the moa bird, some of which show promising antibiotic activity in laboratory and mouse models. While molecular de-extinction offers potential solutions to antibiotic resistance and other biomedical challenges, it raises ethical and legal questions regarding patenting and the commercialization of naturally occurring but extinct molecules. The field remains in early stages, with significant technical and regulatory hurdles before clinical application. [Extracted from the article] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
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