• Colossal CEO Ben Lamm defended de-extinction technology at SXSW, stating humanity has a moral obligation to develop tools that can reverse human-caused species loss.
  • The $10.2 billion startup is working to revive the woolly mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger, with plans for woolly mammoth hybrid calves by 2028.
  • Colossal has already demonstrated progress with gene-edited "woolly mice" and sees commercial potential in species rewilding and carbon sequestration technologies.

Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm defended his company's ambitious de-extinction mission during a Sunday SXSW appearance, stating that humanity has both a "moral obligation and an ethical obligation" to develop technologies that can reverse species extinction caused by human activities.

During an onstage interview with actor and board member Joe Manganiello in Austin, Lamm emphasized that "modern conservation isn't working" and that a "de-extinction toolkit" is necessary to address biodiversity loss.

The Dallas-based startup, currently valued at $10.2 billion after raising hundreds of millions in venture funding, is working to revive several extinct species including the woolly mammoth, dodo bird, and thylacine (Tasmanian tiger).

Lamm was quick to dismiss any "Jurassic Park" comparisons, noting that dinosaur revival would be impossible due to the lack of usable DNA sources.

Instead, the company has set ambitious but potentially achievable goals, including plans to produce woolly mammoth hybrid calves by 2028 that could eventually be reintroduced to Arctic tundra habitats.

One of Colossal's recent high-profile achievements is the development of a "woolly mouse" with mutations inspired by woolly mammoths.

These gene-edited mice exhibit long, shaggy, tawny-colored fur created using a mix of mammoth-like and known mouse hair-growth mutations.

While some experts have questioned the significance of this experiment, Lamm defended it as validation that "our edits that we were making for the mammoth are the right edits."

Founded in 2023 by Lamm and geneticist George Church, Colossal has already spun out two companies focused on specific applications, with a third yet to be announced.

Lamm sees substantial commercial potential in the "re-wilding" of species and carbon sequestration, suggesting there are "billions of dollars" to be made in these areas.

Beyond species revival, Lamm painted a broader vision of synthetic biology's future impact, predicting advances that will lead to cancer cures, ocean plastic removal, and widespread clean water availability.

He suggested humanity will "achieve longevity escape velocity" within the next 20 years, potentially adding years to human life expectancy.

He mentioned discussions with an unnamed country interested in creating "bio vaults" to preserve endangered species genetic material, suggesting such efforts might require a "Manhattan Project-scale" initiative.

While acknowledging potential risks in combining computing power, AI, and synthetic biology—calling it the most "dangerous" set of technologies the world has seen—Lamm remains committed to Colossal's mission of using these tools to revive lost biodiversity and repair damaged ecosystems.

Edited by Annette George