Photos by amivitale | Ever since the last male northern white rhino died in 2018 (and the two remaining females are too old to reproduce), scientists have been working on in vitro solutions in an attempt to resurrect the functionally extinct species. Now there's breaking news: The biorescue_project has produced primordial germ cells from northern white rhino stem cells—a world’s first for large mammals. Primordial germ cells are embryonic precursors of sperm and eggs that pass on genetic and epigenetic information from one generation to the next. This paves the way to produce functional gametes (eggs and sperm) from the preserved tissue of other northern white rhinos. If successful, this would boost the availability and genetic diversity of embryos and become a cornerstone for saving the northern white rhinoceros. The biorescue_project has already successfully created 22 embryos from oocytes harvested from Fatu, as one of the rhinos is named. This latest development is one more huge...