Introduction to Colossal Biovault
Colossal Biosciences, a biotech company involved in efforts to revive extinct species such as the dodo, mammoth, and Tasmanian tiger, has announced the establishment of a biovault for endangered species in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The facility, to be known as the Colossal Biovault and World Preservation Lab, will be located inside Dubai's Museum of the Future. It is designed to store millions of frozen tissue and other biological samples from 10,000 species, with a specific focus on the 100 most endangered species globally and within the UAE.
Company Background and Approach
In April, Colossal stated it had "resurrected" the extinct dire wolf by creating three wolves—two males and one female—through the use of ancient DNA, cloning, and gene-editing technology on a gray wolf. Experts have clarified that a carbon copy of an extinct animal cannot be resurrected, noting that the created wolves are essentially hybrids of a dire wolf and gray wolf, resembling their extinct predecessors.
Dallas-based Colossal intends to use samples stored in its UAE vault for research on endangered species and as a method to potentially revive species should they become extinct.
Co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm compared the new biovault to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, emphasizing the necessity for similar preservation efforts for animals.
Lamm stated the need to "back up all life on Earth" because current conservation efforts are not keeping pace with the rate of species eradication.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List indicates over 48,000 species are threatened with extinction out of 172,600 assessed species.
Colossal's objective is to store multiple samples of each species to maintain genetic diversity, which is crucial for the long-term viability of populations. Lamm cited several reasons for preserving endangered animals, including their role as keystone species whose loss can disrupt ecosystems and ripple through food chains. He also highlighted the potential loss of valuable data, such as insights from birds' immune systems that could be applied to human health.
Existing Global Preservation Efforts
Colossal's biovault is not the only such facility globally. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's "Frozen Zoo," founded in 1975, contains samples from over 1,300 species and subspecies.
Genetic material from this facility has been used to create clones of four endangered species: Przewalski’s horse, the Indian gaur, banteng cattle, and the black-footed ferret. Additionally, the charity Frozen Ark has collected 48,000 samples, predominantly DNA, including those from the snow leopard and the Scimitar Horned Oryx, across multiple sites in the UK.
Expert Commentary and Considerations
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance issued a statement acknowledging that:
Accelerating "cryopreservation of living cells" represents "an unprecedented opportunity and urgent necessity for ensuring the future of Earth’s biological diversity."
They emphasized that such efforts require collaboration, careful consideration of regulatory frameworks, long-term governance, and coordination across political boundaries. The Alliance also suggested that a sustainable strategy for biobanking would involve a distributed model that supports the development of in-country biobanking capacity in biodiverse regions, in partnership with institutions possessing expertise in long-term collections.
Dusko Ilic, a professor of stem cell science at King’s College London, commented that there were insufficient public details to assess Colossal’s biovault at present. He expressed interest in more information regarding the project's scope (species, sample types), governance, access protocols, long-term funding, and integration with existing conservation frameworks.
Ilic cautioned that "cryobanking alone does not equate to conservation impact" and advised viewing such facilities as complementary tools rather than substitutes for in situ conservation, habitat protection, or population management.
Funding and Public Engagement
This new biobank initiative is part of a nine-figure investment program in the UAE, a nation that previously invested $60 million in Colossal. The company has raised a total of $615 million since its founding in 2021.
The biovault's location within Dubai’s Museum of the Future is intended to provide the public with proximity to ongoing scientific work.
Lamm stated the goal is to create "living labs on display" to engage and excite children and the public about science.
The final list of the 100 most imperiled species for sample interment is currently being compiled through a joint research project with the UAE. Colossal plans for this biovault to be the first in a global network of such sites.