Colossal Bio in search to bring lost species back to the future

India could be a key partner in Colossal Biosciences‘ mission to revive lost species, offering both rich biodiversity and unique conservation opportunities, as seen in its successful reintroduction of cheetahs from Namibia, said its founder and CEO Ben Lamm.The serial entrepreneur said while critics point out these aren’t “Indian cheetahs,” environmental factors will shape them over time. “We’re excited to explore cloning and biodiversity tech to support India’s conservation efforts and would love to collaborate further to help strengthen its cheetah population.”

The startup is on a mission to revive lost species such as the woolly mammoth, thylacine and dodo as part of its bold conservation efforts.

Lamm’s partner in the venture is George Church, the Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and a renowned scientist in genomics and synthetic biology.

“Well, solving big problems is what drives us. I have to give credit to my co-founder, George Church, for shaping this vision. George is a pioneer-he’s widely considered the father of synthetic biology,” said Lamm. “When I approached him with the idea of combining synthetic biology, AI, and computational tech in a transformative way, George was clear: we need to build a company that creates value, makes a real impact, and inspires future generations.”

According to the startup founder, George feels the earth would lose up to 50% of all biodiversity by 2050 and while modern conservation methods were helpful, they couldn’t keep pace with the speed at which human activity was driving species to extinction. “His vision was bold: bring back extinct species. Use this technology to raise awareness about the biodiversity crisis, inspire people and share these advancements freely with the conservation world,” said Lamm.Currently, Colossal’s team includes 170 scientists across labs in Dallas, Boston, and Melbourne, supports 40 postdoctoral researchers, collaborates with 17 academic institutions, and is backed by 95 leading scientific and conservation advisors. With Colossal working to revive extinct species, a point to ponder would be-should humans be playing God?

He explains, “I believe humans already “play God” every day. We’ve been doing it for centuries-eradicating species like the thylacine, polluting the oceans, overfishing, cutting down forests, and even taking medicines like cholesterol drugs to alter natural processes. So, the question isn’t about whether we should “play God.” It’s about taking responsibility for the impact we’ve already had,” said Lamm.

The company has an unique business model-innovation and technology spin-outs.