If Extinction Is Permanent, Can Life Be Backed Up? Inside Colossal’s BioVault Initiative

If extinction is permanent, can life be backed up?

That question is at the center of a recent WIRED Middle East feature on Colossal Biosciences and its new BioVault initiative — a global effort designed to preserve the genetic building blocks of endangered species before they disappear.

Known for its ambitious de-extinction projects involving the woolly mammoth, the dodo, and the Tasmanian tiger, Colossal is now applying similar genomic technologies toward a different challenge: safeguarding species that still exist today.

A Biological Backup for Biodiversity

The BioVault is designed to store DNA, tissue samples, and living cells from endangered animals at ultra-low temperatures. Unlike traditional repositories that preserve limited material, Colossal’s approach aims to capture broad genetic diversity within species by collecting samples from multiple individuals.

Those preserved cells can later be converted into stem cell lines — renewable biological material that scientists can study and maintain over time.

CEO Ben Lamm describes the concept in technological terms:

“Think of it as backing up life.”

Rather than replacing conservation efforts, the BioVault is intended to complement them — providing a genetic safeguard if populations decline beyond recovery.

Why Dubai

The first BioVault is being developed in collaboration with Dubai’s Museum of the Future and leaders connected to the Dubai Future Foundation. The facility will sit inside the museum itself, allowing the public to witness biodiversity preservation research firsthand.

According to Majed Al Mansoori, executive director of the Museum of the Future, placing the BioVault in a public-facing institution is intentional. “Usually there are biobanks that are labs that are inaccessible,” he told WIRED Middle East. “We want people to come and see the work that is happening.”

Colossal aims to build a distributed global network of up to 10 BioVault hubs that can share genetic data internationally and act as backups for one another.

The Broader Debate

The article also explores the ongoing debate around de-extinction science.

Some scientists argue that recreating extinct species may be closer to genetic engineering than true resurrection. Others question whether high-profile biotechnology projects distract from traditional conservation efforts like habitat protection and anti-poaching measures.

Lamm responds that conservation alone is not keeping pace with biodiversity loss.

“We’re in an extinction crisis. We need new tools and technologies for conservation.”

He notes that Colossal employs 260 scientists and collaborates with 17 academic institutions worldwide, funding approximately 80 postdoctoral researchers in conservation genomics and synthetic biology.

Expanding Conservation Through Genomics

While de-extinction technologies remain experimental, the BioVault initiative represents a shift toward proactive biodiversity preservation — archiving the genetic material of endangered species before it vanishes.

Initial efforts will focus on species in the UAE, with plans to expand across the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. If successful, a distributed network of BioVaults could accelerate research, support conservation breeding programs, and provide long-term biological resilience against extinction.

As WIRED Middle East notes, the question is no longer only whether extinct species can be recreated — but whether the genetic foundation of life itself can be preserved before it’s lost.

Originally published by WIRED Middle East
Written by Dana Alomar
Read the full article here:
https://www.wired.me/science/this-startup-wants-to-backup-life-on-earth-before-its-too-late/