Colossal Biosciences: The Company Bringing Back the Woolly Mammoth

It’s been thousands of years since the last woolly mammoth meandered the cold, grassy tundra of northern Eurasia and North America. Although scientists have long discussed bringing the species back to life, biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences is advancing with the latest genomics technology to mitigate extinction and restore biodiversity. 

What Is Colossal Biosciences?

Colossal Biosciences is a biotechnology and genetic engineering company looking to reintroduce the world’s most critical extinct species, restore Earth’s health and address humanity’s future biological necessities. The company is the first to spearhead de-extinction initiatives using CRISPR — a gene editing technology.

Biodiversity loss and species extinction pose catastrophic risks for ecosystems and the world. With this under consideration, stakeholders have invested $435 million into Colossal Bioscience since its official launch in September 2021. More recently, the startup garnered a $200 million Series C at a valuation of $10.2 billion.

Biotechnology began 6,000 years ago, leveraging cellular and biomolecular processes for new technologies and products to improve people’s lives and planetary health. In modern times, biotech has spanned agriculture with genetically modified crops, biodegradable materials and biofuel production.

Although the field has drawn ethical criticisms and considerations, particularly regarding de-extinction, Colossal Biosciences remains committed to responsible science and environmental stewardship regarding natural diversity.

A Mission Stoked in Species Revivalism

Colossal Biosciences has made exciting headway in reintroducing extinct species. For now, its renowned scientists and engineers are focusing their attention and efforts on the woolly mammoth, thylacine and dodo bird. 

Woolly Mammoth

Many people have questioned what caused the woolly mammoth’s extinction 4,000 years ago from Wrangel Island — a 93-mile land mass off the coast of Siberia. They also spread to prehistoric Spain and North America’s Great Lakes area during the height of their existence. 

The species flourished during the Ice Age. However, their numbers declined when the glaciers began receding 11,700 years ago. Ancient humans also hunted the slow-reproducing mammal, which added to their collapse.

Colossal Biosciences has a detailed plan for bringing back the woolly mammoth, starting with sourcing well-preserved DNA samples and sequencing their genomes against the Asian elephant — their closest living relatives. After using sequencing technology to apply mammoth DNA to elephant DNA, scientists will provide nuclear transfer and fertilization to implant an embryo into an Asian or African elephant surrogate. Following the birth of a mammoth calf, Colossal Biosciences will assist with nutrition and social interaction.

Thylacine

The thylacine — Tasmanian tiger — is another species in the company’s de-extinction plans. The species reportedly went extinct in 1936 — the last of which died in captivity — after excessive hunting and habitat loss due to European settlement on the island of Tasmania. Despite being classified as extinct, people have reported thylacine sightings throughout the last century.

The thylacine was Tasmania’s top predator — losing the population caused a tropic cascade as the island became overrun by wallabies, kangaroos and invasive species. Scientists hope their reintroduction will improve ecological balance and protect endangered species from a similar fate.

Colossal Biosciences released its genomic blueprint for thylacine de-extinction in 2022. Fortunately, the species is one of the best-preserved specimens among all those that have gone extinct. In fact, the genome is reportedly 99.9% accurate, with only 45 gaps in its DNA, which the scientists will close through sequencing. For this reason, the company’s thylacine de-extinction project may move more quickly than others.

Dodo Bird

The flightless dodo bird was endemic to Mauritius — an island off the coast of Madagascar. Sadly, the species went extinct in 1693, only 100 years after its discovery. 

Dodos had no natural predators and were inquisitive and unafraid of seafarers who found themselves on the island. The sailors could easily approach the birds and bludgeon them to death for food. When settlers made Mauritius a permanent base in the 1630s, they transformed the land into sugar plantations and introduced numerous invasive species. These nonnative animals — rodents, deer, macaques and livestock — decimated dodo nests and ate the eggs and chicks. 

The dodo was a fruit-eating and seed-dispersing species — their decline upended native plant species and disrupted Mauritius’ ecological balance. As of today, Mauritius has lost 31.4% of its species and retains less than 5% of native vegetation.

Colossal Biosciences has extracted DNA from a dodo skull preserved at the Natural History Museum of Denmark. The team is analyzing the genome sequence to de-extinct and rewild Mauritius to a healthier, more natural state.

Why Bring Extinct Species Back to Life?

People have imagined reintroducing species ever since Michael Crichton published his science fiction novel Jurassic Park in 1990, but few may have guessed such a feat would ever be possible. While you may not want to coexist with dinosaurs, bringing back the mesmerizing woolly mammoth and others has several ecological benefits. 

With today’s technological advances, de-extinction proponents believe that restoring extinct species will positively affect ecological balance, improving natural predator-prey relationships, biodiversity and climate change mitigation.

For instance, as the woolly mammoth trampled over and consumed vegetation, they left deep imprints in the ground, allowing new planets to germinate. Their urine and fecal matter also supplied nutritive compounds for fertile soil. Returning the mammoth would help these ecosystems flourish with fauna again.

The State of Extinction Today and in the Future

Human activity and climate change have caused rapid extinction of today’s species. Current extinction rates are 35 times higher than without human impacts. Without people’s interference and ecological disturbances, it would have taken 18,000 years for the last five centuries’ lost species to go extinct.

Scientists have turned to predictive modeling to understand future extinctions. Climate change, in particular, threatens 14,000 species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. If global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, 18% of the Earth’s terrestrial species face extinction. At 4 C, every plant and animal species faces the same fate. 

Extensive biodiversity loss will have cascading effects on natural ecological functioning, food security, medicine availability, economic downturns and other essential environmental services. 

De-Extinction in the Age of Technology

Technological breakthroughs have enabled Colossal Biosciences to explore the de-extinction of yesterday’s most incredible species. Could the world see the woolly mammoth roam vast grasslands again or set its eyes on the flightless dodo bird? Cutting-edge genetic engineering could very well be a solution to biodiversity loss and extinction.