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Colossal

Submission   4,979

Part of a series on Science. [View Related Entries]


Related Explainer: Did Scientists Really Bring Back 'Dire Wolves' From 'Game of Thrones'? Colossal Biosciences' De-Extinction Mission Explained


About

Colossal Biosciences is a Dallas, Texas-based biotechnology company started by geneticist George Church and entrepreneur Ben Lamm. The company specializes in using CRISPR technology to undertake "de-extinction" projects. The company gained traction in early 2025 after they introduced genetically altered "woolly mice" and claimed to have resurrected the extinct "dire wolf." The veracity of the company's claims has been disputed by internet users who call for stronger distinctions between genetic alterations and "de-extinction," saying that the company has merely managed to genetically alter mice and grey wolves and has not "brought back" any lost species. Other criticism levied against the company comes from its ties to German-American billionaire investor and tech mogul Peter Thiel and the CIA's venture capital arm In-Q-Tel. Colossal Biosciences and the company's work on various animals have become the subject of numerous memes in the 2020s, especially in early 2025 surrounding its claims of bringing back the dire wolf.

History

Colossal Biosciences was officially launched on September 13, 2021, by Harvard geneticist George Church and tech entrepreneur Ben Lamm, who bonded over a shared interest in de-extinction. According to the New York Times,[1] Church had long been experimenting with resurrecting woolly mammoth traits in elephants, while Lamm brought startup experience and fundraising capacity.

Notably, co-founder George Church received $100,000 from tech investor Peter Thiel to support early de-extinction research. The CIA's venture capital arm, In-Q-Tel, has also invested in Colossal, alongside investors like Tim Draper and the Winklevoss twins.[2]

According to a May 4th, 2022, video posted to the Colossal Biosciences official YouTube[3] channel, the company positions itself as a "de-extinction" startup, claiming to use CRISPR and other gene-editing tools to "bring back lost species" by creating close genetic approximations of them.

De-Extinction Projects

The woolly mammoth has been Colossal's flagship project since its launch in 2021. The company aims to create a woolly mammoth-elephant hybrid by editing Asian elephant genomes to express mammoth traits. By 2025, the team has achieved over 20 targeted gene edits, created headway in implanting genetically altered embryos in Asian and African elephants, and worked toward eradicating genetic diseases ravaging North African elephants.[4]

On August 16th, 2022, Natural Geographic[5] reported that Colossal had partnered with the University of Melbourne's Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research Lab to restore the thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, extinct since 1936. Efforts include sequencing the genome of the fat-tailed dunnart, a related marsupial, to facilitate gene editing and potential surrogate gestation. ​

In January 2023, Colossal announced plans to resurrect the dodo, extinct since the late 1600s.[6] Collaborating with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, the project focuses on genome sequencing and developing avian reproductive technologies, aiming to reintroduce the bird to Mauritius.

Online Presence

On March 4th, 2025, Colossal Biosciences went viral for creating "woolly mice," mice genetically altered to give them the "woolly" gene. The company introduced the mice as a step toward their goal of the "de-extinction" of the woolly mammoth.[7] Times magazine posted a video of the woolly mice to its X[8] account on March 4, gathering over 53,000 likes in a month.

Some internet users posted fan art of the woolly mice, including X[9][10] users @Miurgen and @comdost_vtuber, who gathered over 100,000 and 16,000 likes, respectively, in one month on posts made on March 8th and March 5th, 2025.

Fan art inspired by "woolly mice" created by Texas-based biotech company "Colossal Biosciences." The company claims to use CRISPR genetic modification technology in an effort to "de-extinct" animals like the dodo, the Tasmanian tiger, and the woolly mammoth.
Fan art inspired by "woolly mice" created by Texas-based biotech company "Colossal Biosciences." The company claims to use CRISPR genetic modification technology in an effort to "de-extinct" animals like the dodo, the Tasmanian tiger, and the woolly mammoth.

'Dire Wolf' Pups

On April 7th, 2025, the biotech company went viral again after it announced the birth of three genetically engineered wolf pups, Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi. Scientists reportedly used DNA from two ancient samples, a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old ear bone, to identify key differences between dire wolves and modern gray wolves. They then edited 14 genes in gray wolf cells to match 20 dire wolf traits. The edited cells were used to create 45 embryos, which were implanted in two surrogate dogs.[11]

A video about the "Dire Wolf Pups" was posted to the company's YouTube[12] channel on April 7th, gathering over 500,000 views in a day. The wolves were named Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi, the former two named after the wolves from the mythological story about the founding of Ancient Rome and the latter inspired by the book and television series Game of Thrones.

Also on April 7th, 2025, Colossal Biosciences co-founder Ben Lamm went on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast to talk about his company, its achievements, and the Dire Wolf Pup announcement. The video[15] gathered over 500,000 views in a day.

On April 7th, 2025, Redditor[16] /u/Ultravioletdiamond82 posted a video, titled "The First Dire Wolf Howls in Over 10,000 Years," to the subreddit /r/MadeMeSmile, gathering over 26,000 upvotes in a day.

The First Dire Wolf Howls in Over 10,000 Years byu/Ultravioletdiamond82 inMadeMeSmile

Several internet users reacted with skepticism about the news that Colossal Sciences had truly "brought back" the dire wolf, noting that they had managed to alter much of the genetic code of a grey wolf to give it traits resembling the dire wolf.

For example, on April 7th, 2025, X[13] user @Trey_Explainer tweeted a Nothing Ever Happens meme noting this fact, gathering over 10,000 likes in a day.

Some internet users reacted with skepticism about the news that Colossal Sciences had truly "brought back" the dire wolf, noting that they had managed to alter much of the genetic code of a grey wolf to give it traits resembling the dire wolf.

Also on April 7th, X[14] user and scientist Jiankui He (@Jiankui_He) wrote, "Dire wolf is bioweapons," gathering over 12,000 likes in a day.

Some internet users reacted with skepticism about the news that Colossal Sciences had truly "brought back" the dire wolf, with known Twitter troll "Jiankui He":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/jiankui-he writing, "Dire wolf is bioweapons."

That same day, Redditors on the /r/Paleontology subreddit discussed the ethics of calling the genetically engineered wolf pups "dire wolves," given that no actual dire wolf DNA was spliced into the pups and the fact that dire wolves evolved on an evolutionary tract separate from modern wolves and likely did not resemble the larger, furry, white wolves seen on Game of Thrones.

Some internet users discussed the ethics of describing the genetically engineered wolves "dire wolves," as seen in this post by Redditor /u/Confident-Horse-7346.

Benjamin-Ziegler 14h ago No, as others have already said its a grey wolf, birthed from a domestic dog, with 20 odd gene tweaks to fit what they call be "Dire Wolf" genetics. Keep in mind, its all their claims - the pure white coat is a good indicator that they've made tweaks to fit public perception of the dire wolf (as seen in Game of Thrones) rather than anything else. A very important note about this company is that they are the most valued private company operating out of Dallas. They claim to want to "bring back" many extinct mammals, such as the woolly mammoth. This is a huge investment ploy. 3 of their 40 or so planted embryos came to term and looked good enough to be a "display model" for their ability to do gene editing, more than likely to drive more people to invest in their company. This is all probably built on the back on the 37 other dogs that didn't come to term, and who knows how many failed tests that weren't presentable to the public. There is no dire wolf DNA here. There is no dire wolf here. Theres a wolf with some tweaks made to its genetics so that private sector gene editing corp looking to drum up investments before it folds or moves into something else, though not without its heads getting a huge pay out I'm sure. 1.3K Award Share

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Colossal Biosciences wooly mice image example.

Colossal Biosciences

Part of a series on Science. [View Related Entries]

Updated Apr 08, 2025 at 11:46AM EDT by Zach.

Added Apr 08, 2025 at 01:41AM EDT by sakshi.

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Related Explainer: Did Scientists Really Bring Back 'Dire Wolves' From 'Game of Thrones'? Colossal Biosciences' De-Extinction Mission Explained

This submission is currently being researched & evaluated!

You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation.

About

Colossal Biosciences is a Dallas, Texas-based biotechnology company started by geneticist George Church and entrepreneur Ben Lamm. The company specializes in using CRISPR technology to undertake "de-extinction" projects. The company gained traction in early 2025 after they introduced genetically altered "woolly mice" and claimed to have resurrected the extinct "dire wolf." The veracity of the company's claims has been disputed by internet users who call for stronger distinctions between genetic alterations and "de-extinction," saying that the company has merely managed to genetically alter mice and grey wolves and has not "brought back" any lost species. Other criticism levied against the company comes from its ties to German-American billionaire investor and tech mogul Peter Thiel and the CIA's venture capital arm In-Q-Tel. Colossal Biosciences and the company's work on various animals have become the subject of numerous memes in the 2020s, especially in early 2025 surrounding its claims of bringing back the dire wolf.

History

Colossal Biosciences was officially launched on September 13, 2021, by Harvard geneticist George Church and tech entrepreneur Ben Lamm, who bonded over a shared interest in de-extinction. According to the New York Times,[1] Church had long been experimenting with resurrecting woolly mammoth traits in elephants, while Lamm brought startup experience and fundraising capacity.

Notably, co-founder George Church received $100,000 from tech investor Peter Thiel to support early de-extinction research. The CIA's venture capital arm, In-Q-Tel, has also invested in Colossal, alongside investors like Tim Draper and the Winklevoss twins.[2]

According to a May 4th, 2022, video posted to the Colossal Biosciences official YouTube[3] channel, the company positions itself as a "de-extinction" startup, claiming to use CRISPR and other gene-editing tools to "bring back lost species" by creating close genetic approximations of them.



De-Extinction Projects

The woolly mammoth has been Colossal's flagship project since its launch in 2021. The company aims to create a woolly mammoth-elephant hybrid by editing Asian elephant genomes to express mammoth traits. By 2025, the team has achieved over 20 targeted gene edits, created headway in implanting genetically altered embryos in Asian and African elephants, and worked toward eradicating genetic diseases ravaging North African elephants.[4]



On August 16th, 2022, Natural Geographic[5] reported that Colossal had partnered with the University of Melbourne's Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research Lab to restore the thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, extinct since 1936. Efforts include sequencing the genome of the fat-tailed dunnart, a related marsupial, to facilitate gene editing and potential surrogate gestation. ​



In January 2023, Colossal announced plans to resurrect the dodo, extinct since the late 1600s.[6] Collaborating with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, the project focuses on genome sequencing and developing avian reproductive technologies, aiming to reintroduce the bird to Mauritius.



Online Presence

On March 4th, 2025, Colossal Biosciences went viral for creating "woolly mice," mice genetically altered to give them the "woolly" gene. The company introduced the mice as a step toward their goal of the "de-extinction" of the woolly mammoth.[7] Times magazine posted a video of the woolly mice to its X[8] account on March 4, gathering over 53,000 likes in a month.


Some internet users posted fan art of the woolly mice, including X[9][10] users @Miurgen and @comdost_vtuber, who gathered over 100,000 and 16,000 likes, respectively, in one month on posts made on March 8th and March 5th, 2025.


Fan art inspired by "woolly mice" created by Texas-based biotech company "Colossal Biosciences." The company claims to use CRISPR genetic modification technology in an effort to "de-extinct" animals like the dodo, the Tasmanian tiger, and the woolly mammoth. Fan art inspired by "woolly mice" created by Texas-based biotech company "Colossal Biosciences." The company claims to use CRISPR genetic modification technology in an effort to "de-extinct" animals like the dodo, the Tasmanian tiger, and the woolly mammoth.

'Dire Wolf' Pups

On April 7th, 2025, the biotech company went viral again after it announced the birth of three genetically engineered wolf pups, Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi. Scientists reportedly used DNA from two ancient samples, a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old ear bone, to identify key differences between dire wolves and modern gray wolves. They then edited 14 genes in gray wolf cells to match 20 dire wolf traits. The edited cells were used to create 45 embryos, which were implanted in two surrogate dogs.[11]

A video about the "Dire Wolf Pups" was posted to the company's YouTube[12] channel on April 7th, gathering over 500,000 views in a day. The wolves were named Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi, the former two named after the wolves from the mythological story about the founding of Ancient Rome and the latter inspired by the book and television series Game of Thrones.



Also on April 7th, 2025, Colossal Biosciences co-founder Ben Lamm went on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast to talk about his company, its achievements, and the Dire Wolf Pup announcement. The video[15] gathered over 500,000 views in a day.



On April 7th, 2025, Redditor[16] /u/Ultravioletdiamond82 posted a video, titled "The First Dire Wolf Howls in Over 10,000 Years," to the subreddit /r/MadeMeSmile, gathering over 26,000 upvotes in a day.


The First Dire Wolf Howls in Over 10,000 Years
byu/Ultravioletdiamond82 inMadeMeSmile

Several internet users reacted with skepticism about the news that Colossal Sciences had truly "brought back" the dire wolf, noting that they had managed to alter much of the genetic code of a grey wolf to give it traits resembling the dire wolf.

For example, on April 7th, 2025, X[13] user @Trey_Explainer tweeted a Nothing Ever Happens meme noting this fact, gathering over 10,000 likes in a day.


Some internet users reacted with skepticism about the news that Colossal Sciences had truly "brought back" the dire wolf, noting that they had managed to alter much of the genetic code of a grey wolf to give it traits resembling the dire wolf.

Also on April 7th, X[14] user and scientist Jiankui He (@Jiankui_He) wrote, "Dire wolf is bioweapons," gathering over 12,000 likes in a day.


Some internet users reacted with skepticism about the news that Colossal Sciences had truly "brought back" the dire wolf, with known Twitter troll "Jiankui He":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/jiankui-he writing, "Dire wolf is bioweapons."

That same day, Redditors on the /r/Paleontology subreddit discussed the ethics of calling the genetically engineered wolf pups "dire wolves," given that no actual dire wolf DNA was spliced into the pups and the fact that dire wolves evolved on an evolutionary tract separate from modern wolves and likely did not resemble the larger, furry, white wolves seen on Game of Thrones.


Some internet users discussed the ethics of describing the genetically engineered wolves "dire wolves," as seen in this post by Redditor /u/Confident-Horse-7346.
Benjamin-Ziegler 14h ago No, as others have already said its a grey wolf, birthed from a domestic dog, with 20 odd gene tweaks to fit what they call be "Dire Wolf" genetics. Keep in mind, its all their claims - the pure white coat is a good indicator that they've made tweaks to fit public perception of the dire wolf (as seen in Game of Thrones) rather than anything else. A very important note about this company is that they are the most valued private company operating out of Dallas. They claim to want to "bring back" many extinct mammals, such as the woolly mammoth. This is a huge investment ploy. 3 of their 40 or so planted embryos came to term and looked good enough to be a "display model" for their ability to do gene editing, more than likely to drive more people to invest in their company. This is all probably built on the back on the 37 other dogs that didn't come to term, and who knows how many failed tests that weren't presentable to the public. There is no dire wolf DNA here. There is no dire wolf here. Theres a wolf with some tweaks made to its genetics so that private sector gene editing corp looking to drum up investments before it folds or moves into something else, though not without its heads getting a huge pay out I'm sure. 1.3K Award Share

Search Interest

External References

Recent Videos 2 total

Recent Images 19 total


Top Comments

Z_2
Z_2

It's really depressing that 'shallow clout-chasing through memes over practicality' has become so central to actually achieving success that it's worked its way into what should be the most austere of hard sciences.

+48
Rogue Wisdom
Rogue Wisdom

in reply to RoyalBlue

Dinosaurs will never happen, for one very specific reason.

Any reconstruction of a species requires a full DNA set to "code in" the creature that someone wants to create. However, DNA degrades over time after the creature's death, meaning information eventually gets lost forever. Dire wolves and woolly mammoths technically aren't being reborn, but what scientists do instead is find some remaining patches of their unique DNA and sew it in to the DNA of their closest living relatives. As they went extinct "relatively" recently, there is just enough information to manage that.

Dinosaurs have no close relatives, and any fossils recovered have no DNA trace remaining to be of any use. In other words, Chance of Jurassic Park: Still 0%.

+35

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