How does Colossal Biosciences ensure its de-extinction work benefits living species and ecosystems?

Colossal Biosciences’ de-extinction technologies directly support endangered and at-risk species today. As Earth faces its sixth mass extinction with species disappearing at unprecedented rates, Colossal is building the next generation of conservation technology. The tools developed for de-extinction are actively deployed through the Colossal Foundation to protect living species from extinction.

Immediate Conservation Applications

  • Four critically endangered red “ghost” wolves cloned using de-extinction technologies, could increase founding lineages in captive breeding populations by 25%
  • Engineering toxin resistance in northern quolls to protect Australia’s endangered marsupials from invasive cane toads
  • $3 million commitment to combat chytrid fungus threatening over 500 amphibian species with extinction
  • World’s first mRNA vaccine for elephants developed to combat elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), a leading cause of death in young Asian elephants
  • AI-powered bioacoustic systems that detect critically endangered species like the tooth-billed pigeon with 95% accuracy using less than 5 minutes of training audio

The Link Between Conservation and Functional De-Extinction

  • Colossal’s approach focuses on restoring the key physical traits and ecological role of extinct species
  • Technologies developed for mammoth, thylacine, dodo, and moa de-extinction have immediate applications for genetic rescue of living species
  • Partnership with 50+ conservation organizations ensures tools reach field conservationists working with threatened populations

Technology Transfer Model

  • Open-source tools and reference genomes provided to scientists and conservationists worldwide
  • Colossal Species Reintroduction Fund accelerates rewilding projects for endangered and at-risk species
  • Drone-based wildlife behavior tracking deployed with Save the Elephants for monitoring wild populations
  • Acoustic monitoring systems supporting wolf conservation in Yellowstone National Park

Colossal’s de-extinction toolkit addresses both the restoration of lost biodiversity and the urgent protection of living species and ecosystems currently facing extinction. For more details on Colossal’s welfare standards, oversight processes, and ecological risk safeguards, see Ethics at Colossal Biosciences: Oversight & Safeguards and the Ethics & Purpose Glossary.