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Colossal - The company that brought dire wolves back from extinction
Colossal was established in 2021 by Ben Lamm and the renowned biologist George Church from Harvard Medical School.
Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based genetic engineering firm and the world's only company to practice de-extinction, is the mastermind behind bringing the once extinct dire wolf back. A species extinct for nearly 12,500 years and popularised by the HBO hit series Game of Thrones has been revived. Colossal’s three litters of dire wolves include two adolescent males, Romulus and Remus, and a female pup named Khaleesi.
Applauding the achievement of the company, CEO of Colossal Ben Lamm said, “I could not be more proud of the team. This massive milestone is the first of many coming examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works.”
Scientists have termed it "the world’s first de-extinction." This groundbreaking event can also be the first step towards the de-extinction of other species.
“This is a revolutionary milestone of scientific progress that illustrates another leap forward in Colossal’s de-extinction technologies”, the company said.
Additionally, they have also cloned two litters of the endangered red wolves with the help of a “non-invasive blood cloning technique.”
All about Colossal
Colossal was established in 2021 by Ben Lamm and the renowned biologist George Church from Harvard Medical School. Established originally to resurrect the wooly mammoth, its scope has expanded throughout the years to include other species. According to their website, Colossal stands to “reawaken the lost wilds of Earth, so we and our planet can breathe easier”. This is done through breakthroughs in CRISPR and genetic engineering.
Past attempts at de-extinction
In March this year, the company released the news that it had successfully copied DNA to create a wooly mouse, a critter with long golden coat and has accelerated fat metabolism. The company has also previously announced the plan to de-extinct the Australian thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, a species which has been extinct since 1936. Last year, the company released a project to help Scientists are in trying to resurrect the dodo, centuries after the bird famously went extinct. There have also been efforts to bring back the woolly mammoths.
