Woolly Mammoths are the main initiative being researched and brought back by Colossal Biosciences but they say that it will pave the way for development in other fields according to to a Law.com article from March 9 which reports,
“The Colossal-created animals would combine genetic material from modern-day Asian elephants with that of mammoth DNA frozen into ice and preserved for thousands of years. The mammoths, or “Arctic elephants,” as Church refers to them, would hopefully slow climate change in a few ways.
Church pictures herds of mammoths stomping down deep snow that insulates the ground, allowing the intense cold of winter to reach the permafrost so it can refreeze instead of melting away and releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide. He expects the mammoths would also knock down trees, clearing the way for other large animals to follow along and pack down more snow. Entire landscapes could be transformed from forest into grassland, which Church said is more efficient at photosynthesis and sequestering carbon — although the science on that isn’t always straightforward.
To be sure, some environmental experts have questioned Colossal’s plan. The idea of resurrecting an extinct animal is so uncertain, and its potential effect on climate change so hard to predict, that it’s not a worthwhile tactic for addressing the enormous problem, said Carleton University conservation science professor Joseph Bennett.
Colossal’s long-term plan to make money doesn’t rest on mammoths, however. The company’s other research, in fields ranging from genetic engineering to computational biology, could yield advances in fighting human diseases or genetic abnormalities — and Colossal has made progress over the past six months on research with commercial applications, said Lamm, who founded and sold several technology businesses to the likes of Accenture Plc and Zynga Inc. before he partnered with Chu.”
Currently, Colossal has been able to acquire a significant amount of funds from different investors and celebrities according to a Statesman article from March 9. They say
“Colossal has caught the eye of a number of high-profile investors and celebrities. The latest funding round was led by billionaire and Tulco CEO Thomas Tull and At One Ventures, and also had investment from the likes of socialite Paris Hilton, Arch Ventures co-founder Robert Nelsen and Etherium co-founder Charles Hoskinson, among others.
“We ran the gamut of people,” Lamm said. “So many people from traditional venture capitalists to next-gen technologists in the crypto movements to celebrities are just insanely excited about what we’re working on.”
“We’re using this money to fund the acceleration of labs and teams,” Lamm said. “We’re hiring aggressively but we’ve got the additional capital to make it go faster.”
Colossal is now operating three labs and has added an assortment of specialists roles one could only expect from a company working on de-extinction. For example, the company recently added Matt James as its head of animal operations. James’ resume includes working in Botswana to save elephants and elephant orphans, transporting elephants from Australia to Florida and taking care of sick elephants.
“We’re beating out a lot of the top biotechs in the world for this talent, just because I think people are passionate about truly changing the world,” Lamm said.”
With the Colossal Biosciences’ funds and initiatives going steady, they are expecting the first calves to be born after six years. Additionally, they are looking to improve de-extinction and preservation of species.
