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Colossal Biosciences – Quote Library
Colossal Biosciences Acquires Viagen, the Leader in Animal Cloning
Date: Nov 4, 2025
“Colossal is thrilled to welcome Viagen, the world’s leading cloning company, into our portfolio. No other company comes close to what Viagen has achieved. Their unmatched expertise and cloning technology stack have become the world’s standard and their application of these critical and proprietary technologies to endangered species conservation makes them an invaluable partner in advancing our global de-extinction and species preservation mission.” — Ben Lamm, Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“Joining forces with Colossal — the only de-extinction company and leader in biotechnology — gives Viagen the scale, resources, and shared vision to expand what we can do” — Blake Russell, President, Viagen
“At Colossal we believe cryopreservation and cloning are essential tools to preserve, revive and restore biodiversity. Viagen’s proprietary technology will fuel Colossal’s de-extinction efforts and allow us to restore more endangered species populations as well as preserve their genetic diversity in Colossal’s Bio Vaults.” — Matt James, Chief Animal Officer and Executive Director, Colossal Foundation
“Partnering with Colossal Biosciences presents an extraordinary opportunity to apply our advanced cryopreservation and cloning techniques to the ambitious goals of de-extinction and species restoration. Colossal’s innovative approach aligns with our mission to preserve genetic diversity and support conservation efforts globally. We are excited to see how this collaboration can advance science globally.” — Dr. Shawn Walker, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Viagen
Colossal Celebrates the First Birthday of Romulus & Remus
Date: Oct. 1, 2025 •
“The dire wolf puppers spent their first year doing normal dog things: climbing, playing in snow, learning to swim, and occasionally stealing gum off the dash. The next phase is careful socialization and enrichment so they grow into healthy, confident adults.” — Matt James, Chief Animal Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“Romulus and Remus are healthy, curious, and utterly captivating. Their development is providing invaluable data that will inform our broader de‑extinction and conservation cloning efforts.” — Beth Shapiro, Chief Scientific Officer, Colossal Biosciences; Professor, UC Santa Cruz
“We know the world is watching. These animals represent a new era in how technology can help restore lost biodiversity—and they’re also just really good boys.” — Ben Lamm, Co‑founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
Date: Sep 17, 2025 •
“Growing pigeon primordial germ cells for the first time is a monumental step toward bringing back the dodo and advancing avian conservation more broadly.” — Ben Lamm, Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“This breakthrough gives us a viable path for producing germline chimeras and ultimately donor-derived offspring — the core mechanics needed for avian de-extinction.” — Beth Shapiro, D.Phil., Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences
Date: Aug 20, 2025 •
“Andrew is a brilliant scientist and a proven leader. His work has been instrumental to our thylacine de-extinction program and to conservation science more broadly. We are thrilled he’s joining Colossal full-time to help scale our biology efforts across programs and geographies.” — Ben Lamm, Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“Colossal is pioneering a new era of biology at a scale and pace I haven’t seen in my career. I’m excited to help lead the next phase of research and translate our breakthroughs into measurable impact for species restoration.” — Andrew Pask, Ph.D., Chief Biology Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“Colossal’s bold vision requires rigorous science. Andrew’s leadership and the strength of our global academic partnerships position us to responsibly advance de-extinction and biodiversity technologies.” — Beth Shapiro, D.Phil., Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“Pask’s achievements in marsupial genetics and developmental biology are exceptional and have direct relevance to Colossal’s thylacine program. I’m pleased to see him take on a broader leadership role at Colossal.” — George Church, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Colossal Biosciences; Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Professor of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard & MIT.
Date: Aug. 5, 2025 •
“We’re thrilled to launch the Colossal Species Reintroduction Fund — a first-of-its-kind accelerator focused on returning critically threatened species to their native habitats worldwide.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“Through this Fund, we’re empowering conservationists and scientists to scale rewilding efforts at speed and at scale, with the goal of making reintroduction the new norm in species recovery.” — Matt James, Chief Animal Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“This partnership with Colossal Foundation marks a pivotal shift in how we think about rewilding — from isolated pilot projects to structured global accelerator model supporting habitat, science and species together.” — Barney Long, Senior Director of Conservation Strategies, Re:wild
Date: July 8, 2025 •
“We are honoured to contribute our advanced computational and genetic engineering capabilities under the direction of the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“This partnership represents a new model where indigenous leadership guides scientific endeavours, recognising that traditional ecological knowledge and cultural context are essential to responsible de-extinction and species preservation efforts.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“We are particularly excited by this project because of the extent to which it enables us to exercise our rangatiratanga (leadership) and tikanga (customs) and the potential to bring ecological and economic aspirations into a singular frame.” — Professor Mike Stevens, Director, Ngāi Tahu Research Centre
“Our earliest ancestors in this place lived alongside moa and our records, both archaeological and oral, contain knowledge about these birds and their environs. We relish the prospect of bringing that into dialogue with Colossal’s cutting-edge science as part of a bold vision for ecological restoration.” — Kyle Davis, Archaeologist, Ngāi Tahu Research Centre
“The gigantic moa were a cornerstone of Aotearoa/New Zealand ecosystems. Colossal Biosciences and the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre are providing New Zealand conservationists with an unprecedented opportunity to recreate lost taonga (treasured) moa species. This Ngāi Tahu Research Centre-led initiative will drive new historical, ecological, and scientific discoveries on the path to recreating moa.” — Paul Scofield, Senior Curator Natural History, Canterbury Museum
Date: May 29, 2025 •
“The manumea is on the very brink of extinction, and the devastating impact of invasive species on this unique, native bird is sobering.” — Joe Wood, Co-Chair, IUCN SSC Pigeon & Dove Specialist Group
“Our active efforts to save the manumea have increased significantly with the help of Colossal’s bioacoustic tools and the work they have accomplished thus far.” — Moeumu Uili, Member, Samoa Conservation Society
“Colossal’s AI capabilities have allowed us to successfully identify and recognize the tooth-billed pigeon’s distinctive vocalizations and we can now track a species that hasn’t been photographed in over 13 years.” — Matt James, Executive Director, The Colossal Foundation
“The AI, acoustics and sound-classification systems we’re building at Colossal demonstrate the effectiveness of AI-powered bioacoustic technology in low-data scenarios.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
Date: May 8, 2025 •
“Wolves play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, yet they face significant risks from human activities. Our support of this project combines mission‑critical conservation needs, such as remote monitoring and deterrence of wildlife conflict, with Colossal’s strength in frontier technologies. With this fusion, we can create a blueprint for AI‑driven wildlife protection worldwide.” — Matt James, Executive Director, The Colossal Foundation
“Yellowstone Forever is grateful to receive support from the Colossal Foundation to further the groundbreaking work of the Yellowstone Wolf Project and expand the bioacoustic monitoring of Yellowstone’s wolves.” — Sam Barkley, Chief Development Officer, Yellowstone Forever
“The mission of Grizzly Systems, Inc. is to advance field science, combat wildlife crime, deter livestock depredations, and build the digital wild, sparking curiosity, education and advocacy for the next generation of tech‑savvy conservationists. AI is used to sort through this data at a fraction of the cost it would take to sort through manually. Together with Colossal and the biologists at the park, we’re deciphering the secrets of wolf communication. Nowhere else in the world is able to decode wolf ‘language’ like this.” — Jeffrey Reed, CEO, Grizzly Systems, Inc.
“We invest our time and expertise on projects that we believe will have a big impact for local stakeholders and in time, the whole of conservation. By merging AI, bioacoustics, and rugged field hardware, we’re addressing some of the major challenges afflicting conservation and creating a scalable framework that can support coexistence wherever wolves roam.” — Ben Lamm, Co‑founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
Colossal Announces World’s First De-Extinction: Birth of Dire Wolves
Date: Apr. 7, 2025 •
“The dire wolf is an icon of North American prehistory, and returning core traits of this species to the world will have huge value for science, conservation, and society at large.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences.
“It’s also a great example of our ongoing work to engineer core mammoth and thylacine traits in living relatives. Importantly, it required new technological breakthroughs with wider applications beyond de-extinction, which have already benefitted species preservation and (perhaps surprisingly) human health.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences.
“The core technologies that enable de-extinction have far-reaching and meaningful impacts far outside of bringing back extinct animals… I’m very proud of the progress the Colossal team has made.” — George Church, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Colossal Biosciences; Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Professor of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard & MIT.
“American Humane applauds Colossal for their advancements in de-extinction science and for their continued commitment to animal welfare and responsible innovation.” — Robin Ganzert, Ph.D., President & CEO, American Humane.
“This is a proud day for our people… We welcome responsible scientific progress that aligns with our values.” — Mark Fox, Tribal Chairman, Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation (MHA Nation).
“I have spent nearly 10,000 days in the field studying wolves… When that happens, I will begin to study the behavior of dire wolves.” — Rick McIntyre, Author and internationally recognized wolf behavior expert; Member, Colossal Conservation Advisory Board.
“Many people view dire wolves as mythical creatures… Ben and Colossal have created magic by bringing these majestic beasts back to our world.” — George R. R. Martin, Author; Investor & Cultural Advisor, Colossal.
“Our novel approach to iteratively improve our ancient genome in the absence of a perfect reference sets a new standard for paleogenome reconstruction… [It] allowed us to resolve the evolutionary history of dire wolves and establish the genomic foundation for de-extinction.” — Beth Shapiro, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences.
“The de-extinction of the dire wolf and an end-to-end system for de-extinction is transformative and heralds an entirely new era of human stewardship of life… a wonderful example of the power of biotechnology to protect species, both extant and extinct.” — Christopher Mason, Ph.D., Scientific Advisor, Colossal Biosciences; Professor of Genomics, Physiology & Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine; Director, WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction.
“By choosing to engineer in variants that have already passed evolution’s clinical trial, Colossal is demonstrating their dedication to an ethical approach to de-extinction.” — Elinor Karlsson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, UMass Chan Medical School; Director of Vertebrate Genomics, Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard.
“As humans we have a unique capacity and moral obligation to steward the earth… for now and for the future.” — Alta Charo, J.D., Professor of Law & Bioethics; Bioethics Lead, Colossal.
“We get to witness the de-extinction of the dire wolf… just the start of numerous species we can bring back to create a better, more habitable, and balanced world.” — Bridgett vonHoldt, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Evolutionary Genomics & Epigenetics, Princeton University.
“Colossal is drastically changing the prognosis for countless endangered species around the world.” — Aurelia Skipwith, J.D., Former Director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Date: Mar. 4, 2025 •
“The Colossal Woolly Mouse marks a watershed moment in our de-extinction mission. By engineering multiple cold-tolerant traits from mammoth evolutionary pathways into a living model species, we’ve proven our ability to recreate complex genetic combinations that took nature millions of years to create. This success brings us a step closer to our goal of bringing back the woolly mammoth.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“The Colossal Woolly Mouse showcases our ability to use the latest genome-editing tools and approaches to drive predictable phenotypes. It is an important step toward validating our approach to resurrecting traits that have been lost to extinction and that our goal is to restore.” — Dr. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“I’m incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished here in the lab in such a short period of time. We’ve pushed the boundaries of genetic engineering by coordinating multiple complex trait modifications in living animals with exceptionally high efficiency. This achievement showcases both the technical expertise of our scientists and the power of our genetic engineering platform to deliver predictable phenotypes.” — Dr. Michael Abrams, Co-Lead, Mammoth Team, Colossal Biosciences
“The Colossal Woolly Mouse demonstrates remarkable progress we’ve made in precise genome engineering, including optimized delivery methods, innovative multiplexing, and combinations of gene-targeting strategies. We are showing that we can now rationally design and construct complex genetic adaptations, with profound implications for the future of multi-gene de-extinction and engineering.” — Dr. George Church, Professor of Genetics, Wyss Institute and Harvard Medical School; Co-Founder, Colossal Biosciences
Date: Jan. 15, 2025 •
“Our recent successes are not mere milestones in de-extinction; they demonstrate a practical de-extinction toolkit… TWG Global and our other partners recognize the transformative potential of these tools for conservation biology and beyond.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences.
“We are thrilled to partner with Colossal as they continue to lead the field of de-extinction and conservation-focused genetics… We believe their work will change what’s possible in protecting biodiversity.” — Mark Walter, CEO, TWG Global.
“Colossal’s unique combination of cutting-edge synthetic biology, ancient DNA analysis, and computational genomics enables feat-level scientific advances that also yield broadly applicable technologies… I could not be more appreciative of the team’s progress.” — George Church, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Colossal Biosciences; Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Professor of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard & MIT.
“These advances in ancient DNA sequencing and assembly… are truly groundbreaking and represent a step change for our field.” — Love Dalén, Ph.D., Professor, Centre for Paleogenetics, Stockholm University; Advisor to Colossal’s Mammoth Project.
“The pace of progress on the thylacine program has been remarkable… We are closer than ever to restoring this iconic marsupial.” — Andrew Pask, Ph.D., Professor, University of Melbourne; Lead, TIGRR Lab (Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research).
“Our team has made unprecedented progress in avian genomics, including high-quality assemblies and targeted trait engineering… setting up a clear path to progress in avian de-extinction.” — Beth Shapiro, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences.
“These technological advances—spanning genome assembly, trait engineering, and ethical frameworks—are already benefiting conservation efforts today.” — Beth Shapiro, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences.
Date: Jan. 13, 2025 •
“The mission of The Colossal Foundation is to blend cutting-edge technology with conservation science to restore ecosystems and combat biodiversity loss.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences 
“This generous support from The Colossal Foundation will accelerate our efforts to create artificial womb platforms that not only support de-extinction but also have the potential to revolutionize reproductive biology for endangered species.” — Dr. George Church, Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School & Professor of Bioengineering, Harvard School of Engineering & Applied Sciences 
“Artificial wombs are both a technological marvel and a conservation imperative. By eliminating the need for surrogate mothers, these technologies could dramatically accelerate the rate at which threatened species can be restored and threatened habitats can be revitalized.” — Matt James, Executive Director, The Colossal Foundation
Date: Dec. 16, 2024 •
“Helping to stop the spread of chytrid is a necessity to ensure healthy ecosystems globally. This isn’t optional. We have to give frogs a fighting chance and ensure they remain a vital part of our planet’s biodiversity for generations to come. This imperative is why we invested in the work that Dr. Frankenberg and Dr. Pask are committed to.” — Matt James, Director, The Colossal Foundation
“This funding will allow us to finally test a novel approach that we have recently been developing. It will exploit new immunology approaches and information from sequencing strategies that have only recently been accessible.” — Dr. Stephen Frankenberg, Head of Quoll Bufotoxin-Resistance Research Team, University of Melbourne
“We are deeply grateful for this extraordinary gift. If we are successful, it will be a game-changer for amphibian conservation.” — Prof. Andrew Pask, Head, Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research (TIGRR) Lab, University of Melbourne
“If all these reasons aren’t enough, amphibians are also simply fascinating and cute.” — Dr. Stephen Frankenberg, Head of Quoll Bufotoxin-Resistance Research Team, University of Melbourne
“We built The Colossal Foundation to be able to take our technology and our relationships and apply them to the most pressing biodiversity challenges of our time, immediately. Working on chytrid with novel gene-editing technologies is exactly the sort of work we want to be supporting.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
Colossal Achieves Multiple Scientific Firsts in Progress Towards Thylacine De-Extinction
Date: Oct. 16, 2024 •
“Our teams are making incredible scientific leaps while on track to de-extinct the thylacine.” “We are proud to have our work so well received by the Australian and Tasmanian communities and for these communities to be our partners on this journey. We are pushing as fast as possible to create the science necessary to make extinction a thing of the past. These advancements in this project are a huge step forward in that mission.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
Colossal Launches The Colossal Foundation
Date: Oct. 1, 2024 •
“We started The Colossal Foundation to ensure that we are delivering our technology solutions into the hands of those who can benefit the most.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“The Colossal Foundation further expands our capacity to get our technologies into the world as fast as possible and brings new, much-needed funding to conservation while empowering the modernization of the tools.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“The short story is that conservation needs powerful and committed allies… There is no more time to wait to protect the species we have on Earth today if we want to make sure they are still here in 10, 50 and 500 years.” — Matt James, Executive Director, Colossal Foundation
First mRNA EEHV Vaccine Approved; Administered to Zoo Elephant
Date: July 9, 2024 •
“Colossal supported our efforts to work on an mRNA solution approach. It quickly became evident that the mRNA solution was going to be feasible, so we prioritized implementation of that approach. We are much further along today than we would have been without Colossal’s scientific support, research teams and funding.” — Dr. Paul Ling, Professor of Microbiology & Virology, Baylor College of Medicine
“In my 15 years caring for elephants, I have witnessed elephants battle EEHV time and again. I even lost a juvenile elephant under my care. It was among the most excruciating moments of my career. To be able to get a vaccine into the world that can stop that sort of senseless loss means everything to me. This is why I joined Colossal. I know we can work faster, and smarter, to save species on the brink of extinction: this is proof.” — Matt James, Chief Animal Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“Elephants are incredibly intelligent keystone species that are critical to their ecosystems and worth saving. What Dr. Ling and our team have done in the past few years is incredible and we are thrilled that our partnership was essential to making this happen.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
Date: May 8, 2024 •
“We need northern quolls to have a balanced ecosystem in mainland Australia.” — Professor Andrew Pask, Head, Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research Laboratory, School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne
“By using Colossal’s technology we’re giving our conservation partners a fighting chance of succeeding in restoring that balance.” — Professor Andrew Pask, Head, Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research Laboratory, School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne
“We discovered that select gene edits to the quoll could confer natural resistance.” — Dr. Stephen Frankenberg, Head of Quoll Bufotoxin-Resistance Research Team, University of Melbourne
“That’s why we have dedicated our efforts to finding out how to save it.” — Dr. Stephen Frankenberg, Head of Quoll Bufotoxin-Resistance Research Team, University of Melbourne
Date: Apr. 17, 2024 •
“I’ve spent my career in synthetic biology and protein engineering with the hope of developing something this transformational; In the future, our solution will be able to work across terrestrial and marine environments to break down today’s greatest threat to humankind/our existence: the plastic that is choking our world.” — Sukanya Punthambaker, Ph.D, Breaking co-founder and CEO
Date: Apr. 15, 2024 •
“Ancient DNA is a discovery-based science that offers foundational understanding of how species, communities, and ecosystems have evolved over millions of years of habitat and climate change.” — Dr. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“By studying ancient DNA we can learn how organisms adapt to climate change, how they reshuffle and reorganize as habitats shift, and how to create resilient ecosystems in the future.” — Dr. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“The past can be thought of as a completed evolutionary experiment that can inform how we decide to manage ecosystems today and into the future.” — Dr. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“Ancient DNA is the most complicated DNA on the planet. I think about it as if we are trying to put together a puzzle, but we don’t know exactly what the puzzle looks like or how many pieces are missing.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
Date: Mar. 28, 2024 •
“I have dedicated my career to protecting and recovering species that may be down to their last few individuals… For some of them, protecting their remaining habitat will not be enough to allow them to recover. We are at the point where we need to do something dramatically innovative.” — Barney Long, Senior Director of Conservation Strategies, Re:wild
“This partnership represents the next step in building Colossal’s conservation technologies into a revolutionary tool in the fight against biodiversity loss.” — Matt James, Chief Animal Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“By establishing a core focus and combining the strengths of each organization, we are on track to a truly monumental conservation win.” — Beth Shapiro, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“Due to the accelerated global biodiversity crisis it is important that in addition to the classical conservation approaches such as habitat protection and captive breeding programs…, advanced cellular technologies will be implemented into new conservation strategies… The new partnership between the de-extinction company Colossal and the conservation NGO Re:wild presents a milestone in this direction.” — Thomas Hildebrandt, Head of Reproduction Management, Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research
Date: Mar. 19, 2024 •
“I’ve been an advisor to Colossal since just after the company launched and am excited now to step in full-time to support the team’s groundbreaking work.” — Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“It’s thrilling to see the research we’ve been doing in the labs not only seeing the light of day, but being applied to science that will positively impact the planet.” — Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“Beth and I have developed an incredible relationship over the past few years. I’m extremely impressed by her intellect, drive, and the rigor of her scientific research.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“It is so great to have Beth join as CSO, bringing her inventive spirit and her many achievements in ancient populations of avian and mammalian species… She is a rare combination of charisma, scholarship and environmental dedication. A colossal pioneer.” — — Dr. George Church, Co-Founder, Colossal Biosciences; Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School & MIT Health Sciences & Technology
Revolutionary Elephant iPSC Milestone Reached in Colossal’s Woolly Mammoth Project
Date: Mar. 6, 2024 •
“In the past, a multitude of attempts to generate elephant iPSCs have not been fruitful. Elephants are a very special species, and we have only just begun to scratch the surface of their fundamental biology.” — Eriona Hysolli, Head of Biological Sciences, Colossal Biosciences
“Elephants might get the ‘hardest to reprogram’ prize, but learning how to do it anyway will help many other studies, especially on endangered species. This milestone gives us insights into developmental biology and the balance between senescence and cancer.” — Dr. George Church, Co-Founder, Colossal Biosciences; Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School & MIT Health Sciences & Technology
“We are most excited to use the cells we have developed to grow elephant gametes in a dish. While elephants have been a challenging species, this has been an incredibly unique opportunity with so much to learn and share now and in the near future.” — Evan Appleton, Team Lead, Mammoth Stem Cell Team, Colossal Biosciences
“When we embarked on the Woolly Mammoth de-extinction project we knew it would be challenging but we’ve always had the best team on the planet focused on the task at hand… Each step brings us closer to our long term goals of bringing back this iconic species.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
Date: Feb. 21, 2024 •
“Transparency is core to Colossal’s mission and goals, so working with the right filmmakers to chronicle our journey was incredibly important. James is at the forefront of nature-focused filmmaking and there is no one better to lead the undertaking. Given his impressive track record, James was the right filmmaker to cover our complex, dynamic, and novel story.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“After these past few months with Colossal, I am more excited than ever by the extraordinary work they are doing and what will become an incredible turning point in our history. Their work in de-extinction is fascinating and what’s coming up is unbelievable. I feel very privileged that we have the opportunity to bring this story to the world.” — James Reed, Director, Underdog Films
“Our world is about to change forever. Extinct species, some of which haven’t walked the earth in thousands of years, are about to return. The thin line between science and science fiction has been erased, and I couldn’t be happier to work with Colossal, Underdog Films, and Teton Ridge Entertainment to tell the stories of the brilliant minds behind this astounding accomplishment.” — Michael Dougherty, Executive Producer
“Colossal’s trailblazing mission to de-extinct animals embodies the pioneering spirit that Teton Ridge Entertainment aims to celebrate. Through the lens of James’s emotional, engrossing storytelling, we are excited to give audiences a front-row seat to Colossal’s fascinating scientific discoveries.” — Jillian Share, President, Teton Ridge Entertainment
“It’s terrific to have such a nature-focused, esteemed, and thoughtful team capturing Colossal’s journey to help endangered species via ancient genetic diversity, environmental restoration and conservation.” — Dr. George Church, Co-Founder, Colossal Biosciences; Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School & MIT Health Sciences & Technology
Colossal Announces the Tasmania Thylacine Advisory Committee
Date: Dec. 20, 2023 •
“We are excited to work with this incredible local committee on the next steps of the Thylacine project. Mayor Dracoulis, business and educational leader James Groom, aboriginal activist Peter Rowe and all the members are helping to ensure we have a complete picture of how reintroduction can support the efforts of the Tasmanian community. From biodiversity improvements to economic opportunities, we want this to help invigorate a community I’ve come to know and love.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“I’m invested in ensuring the best future for Tasmania, which is why I wanted to helm the Tasmania Thylacine Advisory Committee. Culturally, on our island, the thylacine is more than an extinct animal. It is part of our identity, and lives strongly in our folklore and imagination. Bringing back the thylacine is an important step in ensuring biodiversity and safeguarding Tasmania for future generations. Its restoration will contribute to much-needed healing in our land which has a troubled past but is home to a people that have hopes for a brighter future.” — Mayor Michelle Dracoulis, Chair, Tasmania Thylacine Advisory Committee
“The Thylacine was an apex predator wiped out by man; from its loss the environment has suffered. Our people work to maintain nature’s balance as part of our duty to care for the Earth.” — Peter Rowe, Aboriginal Advocate & Trawlwoolway Man, Derwent Valley Council Indigenous Advisor
“I have spent my career actively working to help Tasmania prosper – socially, commercially and culturally. Joining the Tasmania Thylacine Advisory Committee is an opportunity for me to continue to support our home state and help shape this globally significant and vitally important work.” — James Groom, Senior Tasmanian Lawyer & Director
Date: Nov. 22, 2023 •
“The dodo, a bird intimately woven in the DNA of Mauritius, is also sadly iconic for the role mankind played in its extinction. We are so grateful for Colossal’s technologies and the promise to return this iconic species to its native environment.” — Vikash Tatayah, Director of Conservation, Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
“Colossal is thrilled to collaborate with the people of Mauritius on the de-extinction and eventual rewilding of the dodo. The scientific discoveries we bring to Mauritius will impact the dodo and be applicable to several threatened bird species. Rewilding Mauritius with the dodo is a monumental step for avian conservation.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“Colossal’s de-extinction projects are only successful if the animals are rewilded and brought back to their natural habitat. We look forward to working with Mauritius to ensure this happens with the dodo.” — Matt James, Chief Animal Officer, Colossal Biosciences
Critically Endangered Reptile Gets Colossal Helping Hand
Date: Oct. 25, 2023 •
“Our partnership with Colossal has great potential to explore and apply more novel genetic techniques for a range of species in need. It’s a great example of how different organizations can collaborate to address the urgent need for species preservation and ecosystem restoration.” — Dr Jenny Gray, CEO, Zoos Victoria
Colossal Biosciences Joins BioRescue in Its Mission to Save the Northern White Rhino From Extinction
Date: Sep. 19, 2023 •
“We’re very honored to be BioRescue’s genetic rescue partner and have the opportunity to help save the northern white rhino, as well as other iconic keystone species from the brink of extinction.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences 
“With Colossal’s advanced genetic technology, we will be able to piece together the missing links of the species’ genetic history. Following decades of assisted reproduction and stem cell innovations made by scientists and conservationists, I’m thrilled that the partnership between Colossal and BioRescue will help to establish a sustainable and genetically robust northern white rhino population.” — Prof. Dr. Thomas Hildebrandt, Head, Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research; Project Head, BioRescue; Scientific Advisory Board Member, Colossal Biosciences 
“We’re really thankful to Prof Dr Hildebrandt and BioRescue for trusting us as a partner to provide de-extinction technologies for the rescue of the northern white rhino.” — Matt James, Chief Animal Officer, Colossal Biosciences
Date: July 19, 2023 •
“The health and success of pachyderm populations can largely be traced to highly networked social structures. We’re thrilled to collaborate with Elephant Havens on interventions designed to bolster those structures and improve outcomes for orphaned elephants.” — Ben Lamm, Co‑Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“Data is imperative to support better care. By partnering with Colossal to implement modern monitoring and husbandry practices, we can improve survivability and rewilding rates.” — Adaisse Vermooten, Co‑Founder, Elephant Havens Wildlife Foundation
Colossal Biosciences Named to TIME’s List of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies
Date: June 21, 2023 •
“Colossal is honored to be recognized as one of TIME100’s Most Influential Companies. It has been a little over two years since launch, and I couldn’t be more proud of the progress our incredible team has made to reverse biodiversity loss on a global scale while working to bring back iconic extinct species such as the woolly mammoth.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“Colossal Biosciences is on the frontier of synthetic biology meeting conservation — the two domains are interweaving in a way we’ve never seen before.” — Dr. George Church, Co-Founder & Head of Genomics, Colossal Biosciences
“To have a startup whose mission is as audacious as resurrecting lost species recognised by TIME66 is thrilling — but the real work is far from over; this is just the chapter one success.” — Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences
Date: May 18, 2023 •
“With this work we now have the best performing and best annotated Asian elephant genome to date. This resource will be essential as we identify genetic differences and engineer heat‑tolerant traits for mammoth restoration.” — Eriona Hysolli, Ph.D., Head of Biological Sciences, Colossal Biosciences
Colossal Biosciences Secures $150M Series B and Announces Plan to De-Extinct the Iconic Dodo
Date: Jan. 31, 2023 •
“Earth’s wildlife populations have plunged by an average of 69%… we have the opportunity to reverse human-inflicted biodiversity loss.” — Ben Lamm, Co‑Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“The Dodo is a prime example… [people] made it impossible for them to survive.” — Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences
“Dr. George Church and Colossal’s deep work in genomics is creating some of the most cutting-edge advancements in biotech.” — Thomas Tull, Chairman, United States Innovative Technology Fund (USIT)
“Colossal is a new symbol for hope in species preservation and conservation.” — Erik Anderson, Founder & CEO, WestRiver Group; Colossal investor & special advisor
“Methods for reading and writing DNA are helping make Earth a healthier place to live, medically and environmentally.” — George Church, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Colossal Biosciences; Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Professor of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard & MIT.
“The Colossal teams… are making incredible progress to de-extinct the Thylacine… currently ahead of our internal schedules.” — Andrew Pask, Ph.D., Chief Biology Officer, Colossal Biosciences
Colossal Accelerates Research and Development of Life-Saving Vaccine to Prevent Elephant Extinction
Date: Oct. 5, 2022 •
“EEHV is responsible for about half of the deaths of young elephants in zoos. A staggering yet preventable figure.” — Dr. Paul Ling, Professor of Microbiology & Virology, Baylor College of Medicine
“In the wild, elephants are a critical keystone species, a key player in maintaining the biodiversity and health of the ecosystems they inhabit. Disruptive conservation methods rooted in genetics complement existing preservation efforts, and ensure a future for all elephants to thrive.” — Matt James, Head of Animal Operations, Colossal Biosciences
“The living populations of Asian elephants are critical for the restoration of the woolly mammoth, but more importantly, for the preservation of the elephant lineage. We’re thrilled to advance science to benefit both existing and future generations of elephants and mammoths.” — Justin Quinn, Director of Product Development, Colossal Biosciences
Colossal Biosciences Spins Out Form Bio to Revolutionize Computational Life Sciences
Date: Sep. 27, 2022 •
“The computational biology market is growing rapidly, and to scale responsibly we needed to give Form Bio the independence and focus to serve scientists everywhere.” — Ben Lamm, Co‑Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“Form Bio stood out as our internal tool of choice because it let our teams explore, iterate, and collaborate faster on complex workflows. I’m excited to bring that capability to labs around the world.” — Andrew Busey, Co‑CEO, Form Bio
“Form Bio’s technology will democratize sophisticated computational methods and accelerate discovery across biology.” — George Church, Ph.D.,Co-Founder, Colossal Biosciences; Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Professor of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard & MIT.
Date: Aug. 16, 2022 •
“Thylacines give birth to babies that are not much bigger than a grain of rice, so growing the embryo in a test tube or through a surrogate is much less challenging for a marsupial than a mammoth.” — Eriona Hysolli, Head of Biological Sciences, Colossal Biosciences
“This is the most direct and impactful way we can contribute to saving Australian biodiversity — by bringing back one of its most iconic lost species, the thylacine.” — Ben Lamm, Co‐Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“Our collaboration with the University of Melbourne will enable us to accelerate the development of marsupial reproductive technologies and re-introduce the thylacine’s ecological role in Tasmania.” — Prof. Andrew Pask, TIGRR Labs / University of Melbourne (Scientific Partner)
Date: Jul. 12, 2022 •
“Colossal is committed to the VGP mission of sequencing all vertebrates to genetically back-up critical and keystone living species. By bringing resources and attention to these groundbreaking efforts, we can create new pathways to saving biodiversity, impacting climate change, and preserving life on Earth.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“I am glad that we are able to generate a high-quality genome that will be useful for Colossal’s endeavors and other collaborators within the Vertebrate Genomes Project. I am glad that Colossal is helping the VGP in our efforts.” — Erich Jarvis, Ph.D., HHMI Investigator; Professor at The Rockefeller University; Chair, Vertebrate Genomes Project.
“This is one of the highest quality reference genomes ever produced. Advances made in this accomplishment will fuel a promising future for the rapid advancement of species restoration and extinction prevention worldwide through genetic rescue.” — Sara Ord, Director of Species Restoration, Colossal Biosciences
Colossal Biosciences Named to World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers 2022
Date: May 10, 2022 •
“Being recognized as a WEF Technology Pioneer is a meaningful validation of our mission to leverage biotechnology for species restoration and ecosystem resiliency.” — Ben Lamm, Co‑Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“We’re excited to welcome Colossal to the 2022 cohort and look forward to engaging them in the Forum’s initiatives at the intersection of technology and sustainability.” — Saemoon Yoon, Community Lead, Technology Pioneers, World Economic Forum
Colossal Secures $60M Series A Funding To Advance Genetic Engineering and De-extinction Technologies
Date: Mar. 9, 2022 •
“We’re making the path to de-extinction and species preservation a reality by bringing the planet one step closer to reversing the downward trend of ecosystem degradation and the staggering loss of biodiversity through cutting-edge genetic tools.” — Ben Lamm, Co-Founder & CEO, Colossal Biosciences
“With this most recent financing, Colossal is positioned to realize long-researched breakthroughs that can support the restoration of healthy ecosystems. We will soon have the choice of moving from the role of blind destroyer of the world’s species toward being the thoughtful kin of all the life around us.” — Tom Chi, Investor, At One Ventures
“Led by visionary geneticist George Church, Colossal has some of the best minds focused on developing breakthrough tools that are poised to have a material impact on science and biotechnology, from the eradication of diseases to the development of new drugs, CRISPR DNA sequencing, and even solving challenges around reproduction. Companies like Colossal are imperative to our future and I am pleased to be able to continue to support their unique work.” — Thomas Tull, Lead Investor
