Two Tasmanian tigers that lived in captivity until the species became extinct (Credit: Museums Victoria)

Scientists hope to revive extinct Australian marsupials that have been dead for nearly a century.

Researchers from the University of Melbourne have teamed up with US biotech company Colossal to reintroduce the Tasmanian tiger to its native habitat.

The team has already sequenced the genomes of young specimens and will use it as a model to try to “extinct” the species.

The scientists hope to transform stem cells from a similar species, the obese dunat, into Tasmanian tiger cells, or ‘thylacine’.

These cells, if possible, closely resemble real marsupial cells, The Guardian reports.

Researchers use them to create embryos that develop into full-fledged marsupials.

But this includes reproductive technology that has not yet been developed.

The Tasmanian tiger is a dog-like animal with stripes on its pouch. Sightings have been reported over the years, but the last known specimen died in captivity in the 1930s.

“Fairy Tale Science”

The university has received significant financial support for the project, with a £3 million grant awarded to the lab earlier this year.

But other scientists question how realistic these plans are.

Associate Professor Jeremy Austin of the Australian Ancient DNA Center told the Sydney Morning Herald:

He added that the news was “a lot of media attention to science, not serious science news.”

The last known specimen died in captivity in the 1930s (Credit: NFSA Films)

The last known specimen died in captivity in the 1930s (Credit: NFSA Films)

Corey Bradshaw, professor of geoecology at Flinders University, told The Guardian: [in the lab] – And I have a question about this: how do we create enough genetic variation for the thousands of individuals needed to create a healthy population?”

Colossal co-founder and tech entrepreneur Ben Lam said:

Colossal has previously announced plans to recreate the woolly mammoth and hopes to reach that goal within six years, he added.

University of Melbourne professor Andrew Pask, who is leading the project, acknowledged there were significant challenges.

But he said: “If we want to stop biodiversity loss, we need to look at other technologies and new methods.

“We don’t have a choice. In the next 50 to 100 years, if we lose 50% of the planet’s biodiversity, we will become extinct.”