Dodo
Dodo

Colossal Biosciences, the Dallas-based de-extinction company, has announced a significant advancement in its effort to resurrect the dodo. The firm's Avian Genetics Group has successfully grown primordial germ cells (PGCs) from a pigeon, marking a critical step in the species' revival. This breakthrough is the first time PGCs have been successfully cultured for a bird outside of chickens and geese, a development that could revolutionize avian reproductive science.

The scientific milestone coincides with a substantial financial boost for the company. Colossal has secured an additional $120 million in new funding. This latest capital infusion places the company's valuation at an impressive $10.32 billion, with total funding since its 2021 inception now exceeding $555 million.

The funds will be allocated to expand the company's Avian Genetics Group and accelerate its de-extinction projects, including the newly announced plan to revive the Moa.

Colossal CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm expanded, "Our avian team's breakthrough in deriving culture conditions that allow pigeon primordial germ cells to survive long-term is a significant advancement for dodo de-extinction. This progress highlights how Colossal's investment in de-extinction technology is driving discovery and developing tools for both our de-extinction and conservation efforts.

Following the global excitement around our recent moa announcement, this new infusion of capital will help us expand our infrastructure and grow our avian genomics team to accelerate not only the new moa de-extinction project, but also continue to track progress on the dodo."

In addition to the scientific and financial updates, Colossal has also revealed a strategic move to facilitate the dodo's eventual rewilding. The company has formed the Mauritius Dodo Advisory Committee, a group of experts with ties to the island nation's culture, to guide local conservation efforts and the development of a rewilding program. This forward-looking approach addresses the ecological and ethical considerations of reintroducing an extinct species into its native habitat.

Adding to that, the company has established a flock of gene-edited chickens that are being prepared as potential surrogates for dodos. The ultimate goal here is to inject genetically engineered pigeon PGCs into these chickens, enabling them to lay eggs that would hatch into dodos.

This process, a substitute for cloning, is central to the company's avian de-extinction strategy and aims to create a viable dodo population for future rewilding. This combination of scientific breakthroughs, robust funding, and strategic conservation planning are just few of the reasons why Colossal Biosciences is making extinction a thing of the past.