Step Inside The BioVault: Colossal’s Global Approach To Preserve 10,000 Species’ Genetic Diversity

A Global Genetic Preservation Network Designed to Safeguard 10,000 Species

BY Colossal Biosciences

Earth is in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, with extinction rates estimated to be between 100 and 1,000 times the natural background rate. Over 30 percent of the planet’s animal and plant species are projected to disappear by 2050 due to climate change alone.

In a recent feature, IFLScience explores how Colossal Biosciences is working to address not only extinction — but the irreversible loss of genetic diversity that accompanies it.

The article highlights the launch of the Colossal BioVault, a global initiative developed in partnership with the United Arab Emirates to preserve and sequence the genetic diversity of more than 10,000 species worldwide.

Unlike traditional biobanks, the BioVault initiative aims to go beyond simple tissue storage. The program will:

  • Fully sequence genomes

  • Create induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)

  • Develop renewable cell lines

  • Preserve open-access genomic data for global scientific collaboration

The first permanent BioVault will be housed at Dubai’s Museum of the Future, serving as the Colossal Foundation’s Life and Biodiversity Laboratory and long-term cryogenic storage hub.

Colossal co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm told IFLScience:

“We are losing species at an alarming rate. The world urgently needs a distributed network of global BioVaults — a true backup plan for life on Earth.”

The facility is expected to house millions of biological samples, with a special focus on 100 species not currently preserved elsewhere. Colossal plans to establish 10 BioVaults worldwide, creating a distributed network designed to safeguard biodiversity for future generations.

Advancing Conservation Through Genomics

The BioVault initiative expands Colossal’s conservation genomics platform — applying advanced genome sequencing, stem cell biology, and cryogenic preservation technologies to prevent irreversible biodiversity loss.

By building scalable infrastructure to preserve genetic diversity today, the BioVault program aims to ensure that future conservation and genetic rescue efforts remain scientifically possible.

Originally published by IFLScience
Written by Rachael Funnell
Read the full article here:
https://www.iflscience.com/step-inside-the-biovault-colossals-global-approach-to-preserve-10000-species-genetic-diversity-82617