Colossal Biosciences: Published Research & Scientific Papers

Colossal Biosciences has published peer-reviewed papers and preprints spanning de-extinction, conservation genomics, reproductive technology, elephant health, and applied AI for wildlife monitoring. The company shares this research openly: preprints are posted during peer review, reviewed versions appear in established journals, and genomic data is deposited in public repositories for the global scientific community.

The wider team’s collective expertise spans more than 2,000 published papers and 500 patents across the founders, scientists, and advisors who contribute to this work — context for the depth of experience behind Colossal’s own growing body of research below.

How Colossal Biosciences Publishes Its Research

Colossal Biosciences publishes preprint versions of manuscripts on bioRxiv during peer review, followed by reviewed versions in established scientific journals. This dual-publication approach provides early access to findings while maintaining academic rigor. Research data, including genomic sequences and experimental protocols, is deposited in public repositories so conservation biologists worldwide can use it.

Every Colossal Biosciences Paper at a Glance

The table below summarizes Colossal’s published papers and preprints by focus area, year, and key finding — ordered newest to oldest, with each paper linked to its source.

Colossal’s Research on Woolly Mammoth and Elephant Biology

Colossal’s mammoth program is built on a foundation of published cellular and trait-engineering research using the Asian elephant, the woolly mammoth’s closest living relative. These studies establish the developmental biology and trait models that underpin the company’s woolly mammoth de-extinction program.

Woolly Mouse Trait Model (2026) — Demonstrates breakthroughs in trait engineering as a model on the path to woolly mammoth de-extinction. A multiplex genome editing pipeline for rapid combinatorial trait engineering, August 31, 2026

Ice Age Hunting and Mammoth Sex Ratios (2026) — Ancient DNA from 521 woolly mammoths (448 newly sequenced) reveals a sharp contrast between contexts: mammoths from naturally formed sites skew male (~66.5%), while large bone accumulations tied to human activity are predominantly female (~70%). The pervasive female bias indicates these accumulations formed as Upper Paleolithic hunters preferentially exploited female mammoths, offering population-scale genetic evidence of the animal’s role in Paleolithic economies. (Paleogenomic sex inference of mammoth remains sheds light on the anthropogenic nature of bone accumulations, July 30, 2026)

Elephant Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (2026) — First-ever derivation of Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) induced pluripotent stem (emiPS) cells, achieved via two protocols, with TP53 retrogene inhibition to address the elephant’s unique cancer-resistance biology. Derivation of Elephant Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, June 22, 2026

Woolly Mouse Trait Model — Preprint (2025) — The original bioRxiv preprint of Colossal’s woolly mouse work, in which up to seven genes were edited simultaneously — guided by comparative analysis of mammoth genomes — to produce mice with mammoth-like coat traits including woolly texture, wavy hair, longer guard hairs, and altered color, delivering organism-level proof of principle for combinatorial trait engineering on the path to woolly mammoth de-extinction. Later peer-reviewed and published in Cell Reports Methods (2026). (Multiplex-edited mice recapitulate woolly mammoth hair phenotypes, March 4, 2025)

A Case of Mistaken Identity (2025) — Two vertebral growth plates from interior Alaska, dated through the public Adopt-a-Mammoth program, initially produced the youngest radiocarbon ages ever associated with “mammoth” specimens (~1,900–2,700 years old). Isotopic signatures pointing to a marine diet prompted ancient DNA analysis, which revealed the bones actually belonged to a North Pacific right whale and a minke whale — ruling the specimens out as late-surviving mammoths while doubling the number of radiocarbon dates for Alaskan mammoth fossils. (Adopted “mammoths” from Alaska turn out to be a whale’s tale, December 8, 2025)

World’s Oldest Host-Associated Microbial DNA (2025) — A Colossal-affiliated ancient DNA study analyzing microbial DNA from 483 mammoth remains spanning more than one million years — including a 1.1-million-year-old steppe mammoth — recovered six host-associated microbial clades (relatives of Actinobacillus, Pasteurella, Streptococcus, and Erysipelothrix) from among 310 detected microbes. Some carried putative virulence factors, including a Pasteurella-related bacterium tied to a pathogen behind African elephant deaths, and the Erysipelothrix genomes represent the oldest authenticated host-associated microbial DNA recovered to date. (Ancient host-associated microbes obtained from mammoth remains, September 2, 2025)

Arctic Habitat Availability (2024) — Pairs a review of woolly mammoth dietary habits with satellite-derived biomass and net-primary-productivity datasets to model how much digestible forage Alaska’s North Slope could currently supply for a woolly mammoth proxy, yielding a conservative carrying-capacity estimate across a range of tundra habitat types. (Assessing contemporary Arctic habitat availability for a woolly mammoth proxy, April 29, 2024)

For more on the mammoth program, visit the Colossal woolly mammoth page.

Colossal’s Elephant Health and Disease Research

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) hemorrhagic disease is the leading cause of death in juvenile Asian elephants. Colossal’s mRNA vaccine research applies platform technologies developed across its programs to one of the most urgent threats facing the woolly mammoth’s closest living relative.

EEHV1A mRNA Vaccine — Clinical Protection in Juvenile Elephants (2026) — First demonstration that a multi-antigen EEHV1A mRNA vaccine can confer clinical protection in juvenile Asian elephants. Two previously seronegative calves at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden received the vaccine and a booster, later developed natural EEHV1A infection, and kept viral loads low with no hematological abnormalities, no hemorrhagic disease, and full recovery without therapeutic intervention — to the authors’ knowledge, the first use of mRNA vaccination against a herpesvirus in an endangered mammalian species. First evidence of clinical protection from an EEHV1A mRNA vaccine in naturally infected juvenile elephants, July 28, 2026

Multiantigen EEHV1A mRNA Vaccine Evaluation (2026) — Evaluation of a multi-antigen mRNA vaccine targeting four conserved EEHV glycoproteins (gB, gH, gL, and gO) essential for viral attachment and entry. After eliciting strong humoral and cellular immune responses in mice, the vaccine was trialed in nine Asian elephants (three seropositive, six seronegative), producing sustained antibody responses that persisted up to six months in both previously infected and naive animals — establishing mRNA vaccination as a scalable conservation strategy against EEHV1A and a platform adaptable to other EEHV subtypes. Evaluation of a multiantigen mRNA vaccine against EEHV1A in Asian elephants, July 28, 2026

For more on Colossal’s elephant work, visit the Colossal elephant conservation page.

Colossal’s Dire Wolf and Canid Research

Colossal’s canid research documents dire wolf ancestry, the deep evolutionary history of the canid family, and the technologies applied to living endangered canids. The dire wolf work sets benchmarks in paleogenomic reconstruction, while broader canid genome studies resolve long-standing questions about lineage and island evolution.

Dire Wolf Ancestry — Preprint (2025) — The original bioRxiv preprint generating high-quality ancient genomes from two dire wolf fossils (12.8× and 3.4× coverage) and reconstructing the species’ ancestry and evolutionary history. Later peer-reviewed and published in Cell Genomics (2026). On the ancestry and evolution of the extinct dire wolf, April 11, 2025

Dire Wolf Paleogenomes — Peer-Reviewed (2026) — Peer-reviewed publication in Cell Genomics of improved-coverage dire wolf paleogenomes (12.8× and 3.4×) reconstructed from two specimens dated to more than 72,000 and about 13,000 years ago. Comparing the genomes against ten other canid species places about two-thirds of dire wolf ancestry with a lineage sister to the gray wolf, coyote, and dhole, and about one-third near the base of Canini diversity — supporting a dual-ancestry model with a lineage divergence around 4.5 million years ago. On the ancestry and evolution of the extinct dire wolf, July 27, 2026

Sardinian Dhole Genome and Canid Evolution (2021) — Genome sequenced from the extinct Sardinian dhole (Cynotherium sardous), a roughly 21,100-year-old specimen, revealing it as a distinct taxon whose lineage diverged from the Asian dhole around 885,000 years ago, with long-term island isolation leaving a signature of reduced genome-wide diversity. Evolutionary history of the extinct Sardinian dhole, December 20, 2021

Learn more on the Colossal dire wolf page.

Colossal’s Dodo and Avian Conservation Research

Colossal’s avian work advances the cell-culture and genomic tools required for the Dodo de-extinction project while delivering conservation resources for living bird species. Pigeon primordial germ cell culture and a reference genome of the Dodo’s closest living relative are the cornerstones.

Dodo De-Extinction & Pigeon PGCs (2025) — World’s first achievement in pigeon primordial germ cells (PGCs), announced alongside $120M in additional funding for species expansion. Long-Term Rock Dove (Columba livia) Primordial Germ Cell Culture: A Tool for Avian Conservation, September 20, 2025

Nicobar Pigeon Reference Genome (2025) — First high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of the Nicobar pigeon, the closest living relative of the extinct Dodo, providing genomic resources for studying extinct species evolution and conservation of threatened Columbidae. A chromosome-level genome of the Nicobar pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica, May 27, 2026

Whooping Crane Genomic Conservation (2025) — Temporal genomic analysis reveals 70% loss of historical genetic diversity in whooping cranes despite population recovery, demonstrating that demographic success doesn’t guarantee genomic health. Persistent Genomic Erosion in Whooping Cranes Despite Demographic Recovery, August 26, 2025

Explore the Colossal dodo page.

Colossal’s Marsupial and Thylacine Research

Colossal’s marsupial research builds the reproductive and developmental biology toolkit for thylacine de-extinction, using the fat-tailed dunnart as a model species. Several findings are world-firsts in marsupial assisted reproduction and neonatal biology.

Thylacine Skull Morphology and Biting Style (2026) — Geometric and linear morphometric analysis across dozens of carnivorous mammal species finds that the thylacine’s skull is a mosaic of traits with no functional analogue among living mammals. Despite its famous wolf-like appearance, the thylacine had a disproportionately large head, a tall and gracile snout with a flared canine region (a “terminal rosette”), and unusually large infraorbital foramina — features pointing to fast, high-impact snapping bites suited to relatively small, agile prey rather than the wolf-like takedown of large prey. Skull morphology of the extinct Tasmanian tiger suggests unique biting style, August 31, 2026

Marsupial Limb Development — Peer-Reviewed (2026) — The peer-reviewed publication in Science Advances of Colossal’s marsupial limb-patterning work, confirming that the accelerated forelimbs marsupial neonates use to crawl to the pouch form without the physical subdivision of the lateral plate mesoderm long considered essential to tetrapod limb formation — proceeding instead through early activation of limb genes and cell proliferation. (Heterochronic limb patterning in marsupials reveals flexibility in the processes underlying lateral plate mesoderm morphogenesis, July 15, 2026)

Fat-Tailed Dunnart Neonatal Pouch Migration (2026) — First-ever video documentation of fat-tailed dunnart neonates actively climbing to the maternal pouch after birth, revealing rapid coordinated forelimb movements at approximately 120 strokes per minute. Dunnart neonates actively climb to the pouch after birth, February 11, 2026

Antelope Ovum Pickup (OPU) Protocols (2026) — World-first successful ovum pickup procedures in two antelope species — the roan antelope and scimitar-horned oryx — opening a direct pathway from biobanked genetics to living animals in support of antelope conservation and the bluebuck de-extinction project. Antelope Ovum Pickup (OPU) Protocols, April 30, 2026

Dunnart Endometrium Across Pregnancy (2025) — Because marsupials have a long pre-implantation phase nourished largely by uterine secretions, this study mapped the fat-tailed dunnart endometrium — its architecture, collagen distribution, blood-vessel patterning, and cell types — across gestation. The densely glandular lining undergoes extensive, oedematous remodeling driven by highly proliferative epithelial cells, underscoring the central role of endometrial glands in the marsupial mode of reproduction. (Dynamic endometrial architecture of pregnant fat-tailed dunnarts (Sminthopsis crassicaudata), November 21, 2025)

Fat-Tailed Dunnart Reproductive Technologies (2025) — First successful superovulation protocol for marsupials, achieving over 70% ovulation rate with 82% normal oocytes and confirmed blastocyst development. Generation and assessment of high-quality fat-tailed dunnart oocytes following superovulation in prepubertal animals, May 5, 2025

Fat-Tailed Dunnart Embryonic Atlas (2025) — Establishes the fat-tailed dunnart as a laboratory model for marsupial development, pairing reproductive-monitoring and timed-embryo methods with a detailed atlas of embryogenesis from cleavage to birth. The work documents the dunnart’s organogenesis and its accelerated craniofacial and limb development — hallmarks of marsupials — giving researchers a tractable system for studying heterochrony and supporting marsupial conservation. (Embryology of the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata): A marsupial model for comparative mammalian developmental and evolutionary biology, February 2025)

Marsupial Limb Development (2024) — Marsupial forelimb development bypasses lateral plate mesoderm subdivision previously thought critical for tetrapod limb formation, redefining foundational models of vertebrate limb specification. Marsupial limb patterning redefines the necessity of lateral plate mesoderm subdivision for limb formation, December 19, 2024

Marsupial Spermatogonial Stem Cell Enrichment (2025) — First successful enrichment of marsupial spermatogonial stem cells and first characterization of the seminiferous epithelium cycle in dasyurids. Enrichment of spermatogonial stem cells and staging of the testis cycle in a dasyurid marsupial, the fat-tailed dunnart, April 2025

Thylacine Technology for Northern Quoll Conservation (2024) — Technologies developed for Tasmanian tiger de-extinction applied to save Australia’s endangered northern quoll. Genetically engineered resistance to bufotoxin in marsupial ATP1A1, May 7, 2024

Read more on the Colossal thylacine page and the moa program.

Colossal’s Conservation Genomics and De-Extinction Synthesis

Colossal’s conservation-focused papers connect de-extinction technologies to direct benefits for living endangered species, alongside genomic analyses of extinction itself. This cluster includes the company’s flagship peer-reviewed synthesis of the field.

Ancient DNA and Bison Conservation (2026) — Sequencing 160 ancient and modern bison genomes spanning roughly 20,000 years, this Science study shows that past bison populations were highly interconnected, in contrast to today’s fragmented herds. The data clarify management-driven ancestry patterns — modern wood bison carry plains-bison ancestry from 1920s translocations, and cattle ancestry proves far less widespread than long assumed — providing a genetic roadmap to guide bison conservation and management. (Paleogenomic insight into the collapse, recovery, and management of American bison, August 6, 2026)

Vertebrate Genomes Project, Phase I (2026) — Reports the completion of Phase I of the Vertebrate Genomes Project, a global effort to build high-quality reference genomes across the vertebrate tree of life. This milestone delivers reference genomes for about 95% of vertebrate orders — 816 species and 1.6 trillion base pairs — assembled over eight years. Comparative analysis across hundreds of species even reconstructed the genome of the last common ancestor of all vertebrates, and because roughly a quarter of the sampled species are IUCN-listed, the resource directly supports the study of extinction risk. (The Vertebrate Genomes Project Phase I: A global reference genome resource, June 24, 2026)

De-Extinction as a Conservation Workflow (2026) — A synthesis in the Journal of Reproduction and Development, co-authored by Colossal scientists, that frames de-extinction as an integrated conservation workflow spanning ancient and museum genomics, comparative genome analysis, genome engineering, stem cell platforms, advanced assisted reproductive technologies, emerging ex-utero gestation systems, and AI-enabled ecological modeling. It sets out three core applications: reconstructing lost ecological functions through engineered species, genetic rescue of living species, and accelerating reproductive technologies that relieve bottlenecks in threatened taxa. (De-extinction: how reviving the past is revolutionizing the future of conservation biology, June 18, 2026)

Cave Lion Paleogenomes (2026) — A Colossal-affiliated ancient DNA study, drawing on twelve cave lion genomes spanning more than 100,000 years and comparing them against twenty modern lion genomes, shows that cave and modern lions were long-separated, genetically distinct lineages, each with its own demographic history and functional variants. It also detects ancient, climate-linked gene flow between them, with 3.2–4.4% modern-lion ancestry preserved in a roughly 20,000-year-old cave lion from Central East Asia — the kind of paleogenomic detective work that deepens the ancient DNA foundation Colossal’s science is built on. (Paleogenomes reveal the evolutionary relationship between modern and cave lions, June 3, 2026)

Giant Deer Genomics — Preprint (2026) — A bioRxiv preprint reconstructing the evolutionary history of the extinct giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus), one of the largest deer ever to live. Genomic analysis places it as a sister lineage to the fallow deer with evidence of past gene flow with ancestral Cervus lineages, and identifies genes under selection tied to body size and antler growth. Demographic reconstruction reveals a long decline in population size, very low heterozygosity, and a mounting burden of deleterious variants — indicating the species entered the terminal Pleistocene in a genomically fragile state. (Evolutionary history and genomic vulnerability of the extinct giant deer Megaloceros giganteus, May 13, 2026)

Conservation Biobanking from Peripheral Blood (2025) — Cells from peripheral blood provide an alternative to skin biopsies as a source of cell lines that support conservation biobanking in mammals. Rapid Derivation of Cloning-Competent Cells from Peripheral Blood Advances Conservation Biobanking, October 10, 2025

De-Extinction Technology and Its Application to Conservation (2025) — Peer-reviewed synthesis reviewing how genome sequencing, advanced assisted reproductive technologies, stem cell biology, reintroduction science, and AI are transforming de-extinction into a tangible scientific pursuit. Introduces a “de-extinction + conservation flywheel” framework. De-extinction technology and its application to conservation, September 24, 2025

Genome Engineering for Genetic Rescue (2025) — A Nature Reviews Biodiversity Perspective, developed through a global collaboration that included Colossal, arguing that genome editing can complement traditional conservation by restoring genetic diversity drawn from historical samples, biobanks, and related species. It reviews case studies where editing could reduce genetic load, recover lost adaptive traits, and help populations withstand emerging pressures such as disease and climate change, alongside the benefits and risks of genetic rescue through genome engineering. (Genome engineering in biodiversity conservation and restoration, July 18, 2025)

Stem Cell Technologies for Conservation (2024) — A collaborative review, stemming from a Revive & Restore workshop, on how stem cell tools can reinforce conservation as species loss outpaces traditional measures. It surveys cellular reprogramming, in vitro gametogenesis, disease and embryo modeling, and biobanking, and highlights the prospects for extending these approaches beyond mammals to support genetic rescue. (Advancing stem cell technologies for conservation of wildlife biodiversity, October 9, 2024)

Blue Antelope Extinction and Genomic Adaptation (2024) — Genomic analysis reveals the blue antelope persisted with low genetic diversity for 400,000 years through adaptation to small population size, demonstrating that colonial-era human impacts, rather than genomic erosion, drove its extinction around 1800 AD. Colonial-driven extinction of the blue antelope despite genomic adaptation to low population size, May 6, 2024

Colossal’s AI and Genomics Tooling for Conservation

Colossal develops open machine-learning and bioinformatics tools that extend beyond any single species, enabling automated wildlife monitoring and more accurate ancient-DNA analysis. These tools are released for use across the conservation research community.

AI in Elephant Monitoring (2023) — A review of the current and future role of machine learning in elephant monitoring across cameras, drones, satellites, and acoustic sensors. Elephants and algorithms: a review of the current and future role of AI in elephant monitoring, November 15, 2023

AI-Powered Bird Call Classification (2025) — An open-source machine learning system enables automated detection of tooth-billed pigeon calls from minimal recordings, achieving 1.0 recall for the critically endangered species’ vocalizations. An Automated Pipeline for Few-Shot Bird Call Classification: A Case Study with the Tooth-Billed Pigeon, May 2, 2025

Elephant Behavior Monitoring from Drones (2024) — Novel computer vision approach enables automated detection of elephant herd behaviors from drone footage, with YOLO-NAS-Pose outperforming traditional methods for low-resolution wildlife monitoring. Whole-Herd Elephant Pose Estimation from Drone Data for Collective Behavior Analysis, October 31, 2024

Ancient DNA Mapping Quality Assessment (2024) — The AMBER bioinformatics tool identifies reference bias and spurious mappings, enabling optimized alignment parameters for paleogenomic studies including de-extinction efforts. Unravelling reference bias in ancient DNA datasets, July 3, 2024

Transcription Factor Binding Site Analysis (2023) — R package for statistical evaluation of transcription factor binding site disruption in genetic variants, demonstrated on elephant genome data. tfboot: Bootstrapping and statistical analysis for transcription factor binding site-disrupting variants in gene sets, July 14, 2023

Self-Supervised Bioacoustic Event Detection (2022) — Self-supervised deep learning detects bioacoustic events without manual annotation, achieving 0.917 PR-AUC on sperm whale vocalizations and demonstrating applicability across species. Bioacoustic Event Detection with Self-Supervised Contrastive Learning, October 12, 2022

Why Colossal’s Research Matters for Conservation

Collectively, Colossal’s published research supports de-extinction technologies for endangered canids, elephants, and marsupials; mRNA vaccine development against elephant disease; advanced reproductive and biobanking technologies; and open genomic resources that conservation biologists use worldwide. Sara Ord, Director of Species Restoration at Colossal Biosciences, has described the company’s reference genome work as “one of the highest quality reference genomes ever produced,” fueling “a promising future for the rapid advancement of species restoration and extinction prevention worldwide through genetic rescue.”

Colossal’s Research Is Open-Source and Freely Available

Colossal Biosciences makes its tools and reference genomes freely available to scientists and conservationists worldwide. This open-source approach delivers global access to genetic technologies, accelerated research timelines for conservation projects, removal of financial barriers to wildlife conservation innovation, and broad stakeholder engagement in species preservation. Learn more about the company’s broader mission on the Colossal conservation page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Colossal Biosciences’ Research

Does Colossal Biosciences publish peer-reviewed research?
Yes. Colossal Biosciences publishes preprints on bioRxiv during peer review, followed by reviewed versions in established scientific journals. The company has published 25 papers and preprints since 2021.

What scientific journals has Colossal Biosciences published in?
Colossal Biosciences has published in peer-reviewed journals including Nature Communications, the Journal of Heredity, Molecular Ecology, Cell Genomics, Current Biology, the Journal of Virology, Biology of Reproduction, Bioinformatics, and Royal Society journals, alongside preprints on bioRxiv and arXiv. Reviewed versions follow the preprints as each manuscript clears peer review.

Where can I find Colossal Biosciences’ scientific papers?
Colossal’s papers are available through public repositories and journals, including bioRxiv, arXiv, Oxford Academic, Wiley, Cell Press, the American Society for Microbiology, and the Royal Society. Each study above links directly to its source.

Does Colossal research elephant diseases?
Yes. Colossal has published two 2026 studies on an EEHV1A mRNA vaccine for Asian elephants, targeting elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus — the leading cause of death in juvenile Asian elephants. The research documents both sustained antibody responses across nine elephants and the first evidence of clinical protection in naturally infected juvenile calves.

Is Colossal Biosciences’ research open-source?
Yes. Colossal deposits genomic sequences and experimental protocols in public repositories and releases its tools and reference genomes freely, so conservation biologists worldwide can use them without financial barriers.

What species does Colossal’s research focus on?
Colossal’s published research spans the woolly mammoth and Asian elephant, dire wolf and other canids, Dodo and avian species, the thylacine and marsupials, and a range of endangered species supported through conservation genomics and AI monitoring tools.