Colossal Biosciences Is Making Jurassic Park Look Like a Pitch Deck

Dear Cherubs, Dallas has apparently decided extinction is just a product category. Colossal Biosciences is now a billionaire-level biotech spectacle, with the company saying its latest Series C brought total funding to $615 million and ABC News reporting a roster of celebrity backers that includes Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Paris Hilton and Peter Jackson. Dallas Innovates also reported that the CIA’s venture arm, In-Q-Tel, invested in Colossal back in 2022.

The result is a company that sounds like it was brainstormed by a film studio, a venture fund and a very committed science teacher. Colossal says it is working on de-extinction projects tied to the woolly mammoth, dodo, thylacine and dire wolf, using gene editing, synthetic biology and related conservation tools. So no, this is not literally Jurassic Park; it is more like Jurassic Park after legal review and a lot of grant money.

THE TEA, BUT WITH MICROPIPETTES

In April, Reuters reported that Colossal announced three genetically engineered wolf pups and called them the world’s first successfully “de-extincted” animals, while outside experts were more cautious and described them as genetically modified gray wolves with added dire-wolf traits. ABC News said Colossal edited gray wolf cells at multiple sites and noted the two species are about 99.5% genetically identical, which is a very impressive number and also a reminder that biology is rude and complicated.

That is the key detail the movie version never pauses for: the company is not dusting off a frozen dinosaur and pressing play. It is using ancient DNA, gene editing and surrogate biology to create something that resembles an extinct species closely enough to trigger headlines, debates and a healthy amount of side-eye. The label “de-extincted” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

WHY THE MONEY FLOWS

The money makes more sense when you look at the technology stack. Dallas Innovates reported that In-Q-Tel said its interest in Colossal was “less about the mammoths and more about the capability,” while Colossal’s own materials say the work could scale CRISPR, synthetic biology, artificial wombs and genomic preservation platforms. In other words, the extinct-animal angle is the headline; the platform is the business.

Colossal has also built a pop-culture-friendly halo around the science. Its advisory board page lists Tom Brady and George R.R. Martin among its cultural advisors, which is exactly the kind of sentence that makes the internet stop scrolling for a second. That is the trick here: make de-extinction feel part science, part blockbuster, part meme, and suddenly the cap table looks almost inevitable.

The hot take is simple: this is not a cartoonish clone factory, and it is not pure hype either. It is a very expensive attempt to push gene editing, cloning-adjacent methods and reproductive tech into territory that could one day matter for conservation as much as spectacle. The dinosaurs are still fiction, but the lab bills are extremely real.

Sources list
ABC News — https://abcnews.go.com/US/dire-wolf-revived-biotech-companys-de-extinction-process/story?id=120558562
Reuters — https://www.reuters.com/science/us-company-resurrects-extinct-dire-wolf-or-some-version-it-2025-04-08/
Dallas Innovates — https://dallasinnovates.com/mammoth-interest-the-cia-invests-in-dallas-based-colossal-biosciences/
Colossal Biosciences — https://colossal.com/colossal-secures-200m-to-accelerate-de-extinction-and-genomic-innovation/
Colossal Biosciences — https://colossal.com/advisors/
Wikimedia Commons (Laboratory.jpg) — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laboratory.jpg

Food Safety and Biotechnology: A Growing Concern

The genetic landscape of our food supply is undergoing a quiet but massive transformation. From the meat on our plates to the produce in our aisles, new biotechnologies are being integrated into the agricultural system with very little public oversight or conversation.

Two of the most significant developments in this area—mRNA vaccines in livestock and RNA Interference (RNAi) in crops represent a fundamental shift in how we manage animal health and pest control.

mRNA Technology in Livestock

While many are familiar with mRNA technology in human medicine, its application in the livestock industry is rapidly expanding. Cattle, swine, and poultry are increasingly being transitioned to mRNA-based vaccine platforms. Unlike traditional vaccines, which use a weakened or killed virus to trigger an immune response, mRNA instructs the animal’s own cells to produce specific proteins.

The primary concern for many consumers is the lack of long-term data regarding the persistence of these mRNA sequences or their encoded proteins in animal tissues.

If these components remain in the meat or milk after processing, what are the potential health implications for those who consume them?

The push for these platforms often bypasses traditional safety timelines, leaving farmers and consumers in a position of “wait and see.”

RNA Interference (RNAi) in Crops

Parallel to the changes in livestock is the rise of RNA Interference (RNAi) in our produce. This technology works by “silencing” specific genes within pests (like the Colorado potato beetle) to kill them, effectively turning the plant itself into a biological pesticide.

While marketed as a more “natural” or chemical-free alternative to traditional pesticides, RNAi raises critical questions about cross-species gene silencing.

Since many genetic sequences are conserved across different species, there is a risk that these RNA molecules could unintentionally silence genes in non-target insects or even in the humans who consume the crops.

Unlike a chemical residue that might be washed off, this technology is integrated into the genetic expression of the food itself.

Wake Up to the New Food Reality

These technologies are being integrated into our diet with virtually no public debate, no mandatory labeling, and no long-term human safety trials.

We are moving toward a food system where the “off” switch for certain genes is being handed over to biotech corporations.

For a deeper dive into the science, regulatory hurdles, and potential risks of these technologies, you can read the full, long-form version of this article on my Substack:

• mRNA in Livestock
• RNA Interference (RNAi) in Crops

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This week's The Economist sums up nicely, how it can feel to work in #AI #Governance

But while the need for catching up is now undisputed, given a wide-range of complex policy issues where #Governance is needed - from #cybersecurity to #biotechnology (https://lnkd.in/eunQpsXk) - it is important to highlight that #history and #InternationalAffairs give us tools to analyse how #states might cooperate in the age of #AI (https://lnkd.in/ej3jDssj) #gametheory

PS: on regulating #AI also check out the book "The Coming Wave" that I critiqued for Schweizer Monat: https://lnkd.in/e8V2QUFt

Biological Safety Cabinet Class II A2 LE-BSC301 | Microbiological Safety Cabinet Class 2

LabExpo Biological Safety Cabinet Class II A2 units feature HEPA-filtered airflow, digital controls, low-noise operation, and stainless-steel interiors for controlled laboratory environments. Integrated airflow monitoring, UV sterilization, and ergonomic access improve contamination control and operational consistency.

https://www.labexpo.com/biological-safety-cabinet-class-ii-a2/le-bsc301

#BiologicalSafetyCabinet
#Biotechnology
#Biosafet

#Newswire: MicroHarvest has announced accelerated commercial traction for its microbial fermentation–derived protein ingredients in European pet food, with products now in more than 1,800 retail locations in Germany and recent launches in the UK. The company confirmed over 15 new pet food product launches for Q2 2026 with partners including Hey Bones, Vetura, and aniAMA.

#PetFood #MicrobialFermentation #Biotechnology #Ingredients #Protein

https://www.proteinreport.org/newswire/microharvest-ingredients-gain-commercial-traction-across-europe-uk-15-new-pet-food-products-confirmed-2026/press-release

🦠 Could we outsmart antibiotic resistance by turning bacteria against themselves?

🔗 Rational Targeting and gRNA Design for Enhancing Quorum Quenching in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal (CSBJ). DOI: https://doi.org/10.34133/csbj.0089

📚 CSBJ - A Science Partner Journal: https://spj.science.org/journal/csbj

#AntimicrobialResistance #AMR #CRISPR #GeneEditing #SyntheticBiology #SystemsBiology #Microbiology #Biotechnology #DrugResistance #QuorumSensing #Biofilms #Genomics