The new gene-editing technology, consisting of AI and other tools, operates by identifying the primary genes that make an extinct animal what it is, and replicating those genes using the DNA of the extinct animal’s closest-existing relative.
Colossal Biosciences - founded by tech entrepreneur Ben Lamm and Harvard-graduate geneticist George Church - have forecasted that it is likely that the Tasmanian tiger (extinct 1982) and the Dodo bird (extinct approximately late-1600s) may be brought back to life as early as 2028.
Having raised over £177 million alongside celebrity backers, the heart of the foundation lies in the mammoth, the incredible ancient elephants believed to have been made extinct by climate change around 10,000 years ago. With Asian elephants matching the Woolly mammoth’s genes by 99.5%, Colossal Biosciences are theorising that may only be a few years before Asian elephants are surrogating Woolly mammoth’s for 22-month long pregnancies!
The ultimate goal is to integrate newly returned species back into the wild, with the company consistently collaborating with conservation groups, indigenous people groups, and private land owners to prepare the animals to be returned to their natural habitat.
Raising £50m, Colossal Biosciences launched the Colossal Foundation, a non-profit organisation aiding conservation effort and species preservation, focusing on extremely endangered species such as the vaquita, the white rhino, and the pink pigeon. They are also developing a vaccine to eradicate the lethal EEHV virus, which kills 20% of baby elephants per year.
All mammoth tasks… but all crucial in the face of biodiversity.
