This makes a lot of sense. Breakthroughs in all sorts of fields are needed to save entire species from extinction: gene editing and sequencing, artificial wombs, and more. Lamm hopes that any technology Colossal develops will have potential applications (and paying customers) in the world of human health care. “This is fundamental to our technology strategy,” he says.
The founders have some other ideas for potential revenue streams. One is how scientists can quickly analyze gene-edited cells to confirm that the editing works as expected. He’s also excited about some of the research Colossal’s embryology team is working on. “We see this as having large-scale applications throughout IVF,” he says. “But it’s unclear if we’ll spin out an IVF company. Maybe we’ll just license those technologies and stuff.”
The potential for new spinouts is clearly part of the reason venture capitalists are so excited about de-extinction. But the flow of money into biotechnology may be subtly reshaping how we think about conservation. Is it to leave things as they are, or is it to change species? To be able to survive in a human-made world, as Colossal is intended? North of Boston Ronald Sandler, a professor of philosophy at Eastern University and director of the Ethics Institute, said the flow of resources into this area could change the kinds of conservation activities people engage in.
“There is a new set of potential tools here, a new set of possibilities and opportunities,” says Sandler. What’s not clear is whether these new tools actually address why we’re in the middle of a mass extinction event, or whether they’re a technical solution to the problem that humans are consuming more of the world’s resources. Is it just hanging a panacea? they should. “You run the risk of losing sight of what the real problem really needs to be solved,” he says.
In addition to these thorny philosophical questions, Colossal must also deal with the scientific challenge of reviving an extinct bird species. Birds present some unique challenges to avoid extinction because the genetic information within the avian embryo is much more difficult to access. Instead, Colossal plans to edit the cells that become egg or sperm cells and implant them into developing bird embryos. The bird then develops with an egg or sperm cell, or something close to it, containing the functional dodo genetic recipe. Scientists can breed these birds in hopes of eventually producing birds that resemble the dodo.
The dodo study is based on work by Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief paleogeneticist and professor at UC Santa Cruz. In 2022, Shapiro created the first complete dodo his genome. “For better or worse, the dodo is a symbol of human-made extinction,” says Shapiro. Reviving the dodo means tackling the Nicobar pigeon, the dodo’s closest living relative, which lives on the islands and coastlines of Southeast Asia.
But there are hopes that these projects will bring benefits far beyond a single species.Founder of At One Ventures, a climate-focused venture capital fund and large-scale investor Tom Chi, of He points to the startup’s work on a vaccine for the deadly elephant endothelial-stimulating herpes virus (EEHV) as an example of how conservation can benefit from Colossal’s research, even if mammoths cannot be revived. doing.
“We are now living in the old age of conservation,” Chi says. “And honestly, we haven’t won that game at all.” “In deep and thoughtful ways, we truly care about the health of our planet and build deep compassion not only for others, but for others,” he says. You can be people.”
Maybe. But there is also the danger that endangered species removal technology is just a modern twist on one of nature’s oldest problems. Some charismatic species are preserved while the rest of nature burns. It doesn’t have to be. Gene sequencing is a powerful tool to help conservationists, and we need to understand more about the animal kingdom. Could be a bit to give.
