Colossal Biosciences Inc., a Dallas-based biotech firm with a valuation of $10 billion, has made a major breakthrough in its ambitious mission to resurrect extinct species. On Monday, the company announced the successful creation of three dire wolves, a species that has been extinct for more than 12,000 years. This marks a significant step in Colossal’s goal to bring back extinct animals using advanced genetic technology, following its earlier attempts to resurrect the woolly mammoth, although it has only managed to create a woolly mouse so far.
The dire wolves, which were popularized in the Game of Thrones series, are the latest addition to Colossal’s de-extinction project. The firm introduced Remus, Romulus, and Khaleesi (named after the beloved character from the show) as the first successful dire wolf pups born through this process. The pups, who currently weigh about 80 pounds, are being raised on a nature preserve in a secret U.S. location. According to Colossal, the brothers are 20 to 25 percent larger than their closest living relative, the gray wolf, and are expected to reach 140 pounds when fully grown.
CEO Ben Lamm emphasized that the company’s efforts in de-extinction could have far-reaching applications in areas such as human health care and biodiversity. Lamm has described the de-extinction process as a system that can revolutionize medical and environmental efforts, potentially worth billions of dollars. With $435 million raised in funding, Colossal has attracted investors from prominent figures like Peter Jackson, the director of Lord of the Rings, and organizations like IQT, a not-for-profit investment firm tied to the CIA.
Despite its innovation, Colossal’s mission has attracted skepticism from some paleo-geneticists, with critics raising ethical concerns about manipulating nature. However, the company’s bold goal has not deterred its investors. Among its backers are Winklevoss Capital, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, and Paris Hilton, who have seen returns from Colossal’s two spinoffs, which focus on plastic-waste degradation and computational software.
The company’s latest achievement in resurrecting the dire wolf comes after overcoming significant challenges. Colossal researchers sourced DNA from 72,000-year-old skulls and 13,000-year-old teeth, then used gene-editing to incorporate traits like larger size and heavier muscles into gray wolf cells. These modified cells were implanted into domestic dog surrogates to birth the dire wolf pups.
In addition to the dire wolf, Colossal has also cloned and birthed two litters of red wolves, an endangered species, using a non-invasive blood cloning method. With this progress, Colossal is forging ahead on its mission to create lost species while tackling challenges related to genetic engineering and conservation.
While Colossal’s ambitious vision might appear fantastical to some, it represents a bold step toward technological breakthroughs in genetics, conservation, and even healthcare. As the company continues its work, it could reshape the future of science and spark conversations around the ethics of reviving extinct species.