Colossal isn’t ‘bringing back’ lost species. But it might be working on something ‘useful.’
Dallas-based genetics and biotech startup Colossal has secured substantial funding from venture capitalists, the CIA, Peter Thiel, and others. Its high-profile “de-extinction” projects aim to revive lost animals like the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, and the dire wolf. However, Colossal isn’t creating identical copies of extinct animals from ancient DNA as the term “de-extinction” implies. The “dire wolves” introduced in 2025, for example, were gray wolves altered genetically to resemble dire wolves, leading to questions and criticism regarding Colossal’s conservation intentions and the authenticity of its “de-extinction” claims.
Colossal’s latest endeavor announced in April focuses on the bluebuck, an extinct South African antelope. Colossal CEO Ben Lamm emphasized that the technology from this project can benefit conservation efforts and will be offered freely. According to Lamm, some of these innovations could immediately aid antelope conservation, with 30 percent of antelopes facing extinction threats. The company intends to provide its conservation-related technologies and knowledge openly.
The technologies primarily relate to enhancing reproduction, including a novel technique for harvesting eggs from live animals. This “ovum pickup” process involves using ultrasound and a needle to extract eggs from a live animal’s ovary. Colossal has faced criticism for diverting attention away from saving critically endangered species that still exist, a situation that has worsened after the dire wolf project.
Ecologist Douglas McCauley, active in antelope conservation, criticized Colossal’s dire wolf project in a “Time” editorial calling the creations “mutants.” He argued that de-extinction projects distract from worsening species extinction crises, potentially redirecting vital funding and policymaker focus. While Lamm disagrees, believing education and excitement around de-extinction can complement conservation, McCauley remains cautious but acknowledges potential benefits of Colossal’s ovum pickup technique for species preservation.
Colossal also promotes a “global biobanking” initiative to preserve genetic material from at-risk species for future study. McCauley appreciated Colossal’s open-source policy for conservation-related technologies and endorsed the biobanking effort as a beneficial practice.
Despite this, Colossal faces skepticism over claims to recreate extinct species using genome sequencing and editing, leading to perceptions of misleading or dangerous promises. Lamm asserts the company’s focus on outstanding projects drives versatile technology development and attracts necessary attention and funding. He believes these efforts can inspire future scientists and support conservation.
McCauley remains critical, advocating for the intelligent application of advanced technologies, including those Colossal develops, to address pressing species extinction issues without succumbing to distractions.