De-Extinction Efforts at Colossal Biosciences Aim to Bring Back Woolly Mammoth, Dodo, and More

A fresh 55,000-square-foot laboratory in Dallas, Texas, is the hub of ambitious efforts to resurrect extinct species, led by biotech company Colossal Biosciences. The company, founded on the premise of “de-extinction and conservation,” is working to bring back animals like the woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger (thylacine), and dodo bird, sparking both excitement and ethical debate.

Inside the Colossal Biosciences Lab

Colossal Biosciences’ facility houses 260 scientists – geneticists, reproductive biologists, ecologists, and others – utilizing technologies like gene-editing, cloning, and artificial intelligence. The company’s approach involves analyzing ancient DNA, identifying key genes responsible for extinct species’ traits, and then using those genetic blueprints to modify the genomes of living relatives.

Extracting Ancient DNA

Scientists at Colossal are meticulously extracting DNA from well-preserved samples of extinct animals, such as woolly mammoth tusk recovered from the Siberian permafrost. Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief science officer, explained that the process involves identifying and isolating genetic variants crucial for recreating the characteristics of the extinct species. “This is a way of narrowing down that list of what variants are key to making a mammoth rather than another type of elephant,” Shapiro said.

The Woolly Mouse: A Proof of Concept

As a stepping stone towards mammoth de-extinction, Colossal has successfully created “woolly mice” with long, shaggy coats resembling those of mammoths. These mice were genetically engineered to express genes responsible for the woolly coat trait, validating the company’s gene-editing approach. Matt James, Colossal’s chief animal officer, stated this success “is sort of us being able to check a box and say: ‘OK. We know we’re editing in the right place in the woolly mammoth.’”

Reviving the Dire Wolf

Colossal announced in 2023 that it had created a genetically modified dog resembling the extinct dire wolf, made famous by the television series Game of Thrones. Though, critics have questioned whether these animals are truly dire wolves or simply gray wolves with modified traits.

The Mammoth Project: A Timeline

Colossal aims to create cloned, gene-edited mammoth embryos from the skin cells of Asian elephants, the mammoth’s closest living relative. These embryos would then be implanted into surrogate Asian elephant mothers. The company predicts the birth of the first mammoth in approximately two years. Shapiro stated, “That will be our first mammoth. That’s the plan.”

Ethical and Conservation Concerns

The prospect of de-extinction raises significant ethical and conservation concerns. Critics question the ethics of bringing back species that may struggle to survive in modern ecosystems or suffer due to a lack of learned behaviors from their ancestors. Concerns have also been raised that focusing on de-extinction could divert resources from existing conservation efforts. Some argue that the money spent on de-extinction would be better used to protect currently endangered species.

Colossal’s Broader Vision

Colossal Biosciences maintains that the technologies developed for de-extinction can also be applied to conservation efforts. The company has established the Colossal Foundation to support conservation initiatives and plans to create a “biovault” in the United Arab Emirates to preserve cell and tissue samples from over 10,000 species. Ben Lamm, Colossal’s co-founder and CEO, believes that technology and synthetic biology offer the best hope for saving biodiversity, stating, “It’s unethical not to do this.”

As of March 4, 2026, Colossal Biosciences has raised over $600 million and was valued at $10 billion during a financing round in early 2025.