The Biotech Giant Trying to "Back Up All Life on Earth"
Colossal Biosciences, the high-profile biotechnology company founded in 2021 by Ben Lamm and Harvard geneticist George Church, is pursuing multiple projects focused on de-extinction and species conservation.
The company has announced initiatives to resurrect extinct species including the woolly mammoth, dire wolf, dodo, Tasmanian tiger, and bluebuck antelope. Additionally, Colossal has established a biovault in Dubai, UAE, for preserving biological samples from endangered species. The company has raised a total of $615 million since its founding and was valued at $10 billion in early 2025.
Biovault and Conservation Infrastructure
Dubai Biovault
Colossal has announced the establishment of the Colossal Biovault and World Preservation Lab, located inside Dubai's Museum of the Future. The facility is designed to store millions of frozen tissue and biological samples from 10,000 species, with a focus on the 100 most endangered species globally and within the UAE.
CEO Ben Lamm compared the biovault to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and stated that the facility is intended as part of a strategy to "back up all life on Earth."
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. The biovault's location within the Museum of the Future is intended to provide public access to ongoing scientific work.
This biobank initiative is part of a nine-figure investment program in the UAE, a nation that previously invested $60 million in Colossal. Colossal plans for this biovault to be the first in a global network of such sites.
Existing Global Preservation Efforts
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. The charity Frozen Ark has collected 48,000 samples, predominantly DNA, across multiple sites in the UK.
De-Extinction Projects
Woolly Mammoth
Colossal is working to modify the DNA of Asian elephants, the mammoth's closest living relative, to create an animal resembling the woolly mammoth. The goal is to produce the first mammoth-like elephant embryos by 2028.
The process involves extracting and analyzing ancient DNA from mammoth remains, comparing it to Asian elephant DNA, and using gene-editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 to modify specific genes. Colossal has successfully produced "woolly mice" with long fur as a testing platform, altering seven genes related to hair length, texture, color, and fat metabolism.
If introduced into Arctic ecosystems, the company states that mammoth-like animals could help preserve permafrost and mitigate climate change by maintaining grassland ecosystems. Colossal has established partnerships with conservation groups, governments, and Indigenous communities in the Arctic Circle to plan for potential reintroduction.
Dire Wolf
In April, Colossal stated it had created three wolves—two males and one female—through the use of ancient DNA, cloning, and gene-editing technology on a gray wolf. The specimens have been named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi.
Experts have stated 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.
Bluebuck Antelope
Colossal announced that it has been working on resurrecting the bluebuck (blue antelope), an antelope species that went extinct approximately 200 years ago. The bluebuck is the only large African mammal to go extinct in recorded history, with causes attributed to colonial-era hunting, habitat loss, and competition with livestock.
Colossal extracted DNA from a bluebuck specimen at the Swedish Museum of Natural History to sequence its genome. The sable and roan antelope are the bluebuck's closest genetic relatives; Colossal is using roan antelope as a cellular surrogate. The company achieved two world firsts for roan antelopes: successful ovum pickup (OPU) for egg collection and creation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Colossal acquired roan antelopes to serve as surrogate mothers for laboratory-grown embryos and plans to collaborate with conservationists, private landowners, government stakeholders, and educators for reintroduction.
Dodo and Moa
Colossal announced that it hatched healthy chicks incubated in artificial eggs, demonstrating a proof of concept for the technology. The 3D-printed plastic eggs were developed to eventually support embryos of extinct large birds like the dodo and moa, whose eggs differ in size from those of their closest living relatives. The artificial eggs have successfully hatched over two dozen chickens.
Scientific and Ethical Perspectives
Colossal's Position
CEO Ben Lamm and Chief Science Officer Beth Shapiro maintain that their resurrected animals will function ecologically as the extinct species did and that the developed genetic technologies are crucial for saving existing endangered species.
Colossal states that de-extinction and conventional conservation are complementary.
The company established the Colossal Foundation for conservation efforts, which funds over 40 conservation projects globally. Colossal has spun off two companies: Breaking, Inc., focused on plastic-degrading microbes, and Form Bio Inc., which licenses genetic analysis software.
Criticisms and Skepticism
Some critics view Colossal's dire wolves as a publicity stunt, asserting they are not true dire wolves but modified gray wolves. Skeptics argue that a genetically modified elephant would not be a true mammoth but an elephant with mammoth traits.
Paleogeneticist Nic Rawlence has stated that "extinction is still forever." Ethical concerns include the potential suffering of resurrected species if habitats are unsuitable or if they lack appropriate maternal guidance. Biologist Jeanne Loring expressed concern about unforeseen catastrophic outcomes. Some critics suggest that resources allocated to de-extinction could be better used for conserving currently endangered species.
Dr. David Mallon, a visiting professor at Manchester Metropolitan University and emeritus chair of the antelope specialist group at IUCN, described the bluebuck project as "an extremely interesting development" but questioned its value for conservation priorities.
Professor Dusko Ilic of King's College London commented that "cryobanking alone does not equate to conservation impact," advising viewing such facilities as complementary tools rather than substitutes for in situ conservation, habitat protection, or population management.
Scientific Debate on De-Extinction
The project has generated scientific debate regarding whether a gene-edited elephant qualifies as a true mammoth and if resources could be better allocated to protecting existing species.
Paleoecologist Nic Rawlence argued that genetically engineered animals are not true resurrected species and may face ecological and ethical issues. Professor Dusko Ilic has argued that such projects produce "synthetic proxies" rather than true de-extinctions, as learned behaviors and ecological niches cannot be recreated.