Colossal Biosciences' mission to reawaken Earth's lost wilds
Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, recently shared insights in a lively interview on the TechStuff podcast, hosted by Oz Woloshyn.
The Dallas-based biotech firm is making headlines with its bold mission to resurrect extinct species. This included the dire wolf and woolly mammoth through pioneering genetic engineering.
Lamm addressed the ethical debates head-on. When accused of 'playing God,' he fired back, 'We play God every day.
Taking cholesterol medication is playing God on a personal level. Cutting down rainforests or overfishing oceans is playing God. So why not do it in a way that helps conservation and inspires science?'
His frankness cuts through the noise, positioning Colossal's work as a natural extension of humanity's ongoing impact on nature.
The company's first breakthrough came with the dire wolf. Lamm described the moment he saw the pups at five weeks old as deeply emotional.
'I got chills bumps. I teared up. It's very, very emotional.' The viral video of the dire wolf pups howling even moved Peter Jackson.
The Lord of the Rings director and Colossal investor, was 'overwhelmed' seeing them for the first time, according to Time Magazine.
Colossal's approach is rigorous and ethical. Lamm emphasised their 90 %+ efficiency in genome editing, achieved without unintended side effects.
'We read the DNA at every step. It's computationally heavy and costly, but we ensure every embryo is healthy.
We're certified by the American Humane Society because we care about animal welfare and conservation,' he said.
The company also sparked public fascination with its 'woolly mice' — a genetically engineered mouse with mammoth traits created in just one month.
Lamm joked that the mice 'were objectively cute and took the Internet by storm,' proving their process works.
He confirmed that similar edits have been made in Asian elephant cells. This is the closest living relative of the woolly mammoth, with hopes to bring a mammoth equivalent to term soon.
Lamm called out what he sees as hypocrisy in popular culture. 'People love Jurassic Park's dinosaurs but don't want to call our dire wolves dire wolves.
It's a semantic question, not scientific. It's a human construct.' This highlights the cultural challenges Colossal faces in gaining acceptance for de-extinction.
With half the world's species forecasted to be extinct or endangered within 25 years, Lamm's vision offers hope through technology.
His mission goes beyond spectacle; it aims to restore ecosystems and inspire new generations in science and conservation.
Colossal Biosciences is reshaping how we think about nature, responsibility, and the future of biodiversity.
As Lamm puts it, 'Sometimes when you work on new things, it's scary and hard. But I'm not backing off the mission.'
This pioneering blend of cutting-edge science and bold vision could soon change the natural world
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
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The South African
3 days ago
- The South African
Colossal Biosciences' mission to reawaken Earth's lost wilds
Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, recently shared insights in a lively interview on the TechStuff podcast, hosted by Oz Woloshyn. The Dallas-based biotech firm is making headlines with its bold mission to resurrect extinct species. This included the dire wolf and woolly mammoth through pioneering genetic engineering. Lamm addressed the ethical debates head-on. When accused of 'playing God,' he fired back, 'We play God every day. Taking cholesterol medication is playing God on a personal level. Cutting down rainforests or overfishing oceans is playing God. So why not do it in a way that helps conservation and inspires science?' His frankness cuts through the noise, positioning Colossal's work as a natural extension of humanity's ongoing impact on nature. The company's first breakthrough came with the dire wolf. Lamm described the moment he saw the pups at five weeks old as deeply emotional. 'I got chills bumps. I teared up. It's very, very emotional.' The viral video of the dire wolf pups howling even moved Peter Jackson. The Lord of the Rings director and Colossal investor, was 'overwhelmed' seeing them for the first time, according to Time Magazine. Colossal's approach is rigorous and ethical. Lamm emphasised their 90 %+ efficiency in genome editing, achieved without unintended side effects. 'We read the DNA at every step. It's computationally heavy and costly, but we ensure every embryo is healthy. We're certified by the American Humane Society because we care about animal welfare and conservation,' he said. The company also sparked public fascination with its 'woolly mice' — a genetically engineered mouse with mammoth traits created in just one month. Lamm joked that the mice 'were objectively cute and took the Internet by storm,' proving their process works. He confirmed that similar edits have been made in Asian elephant cells. This is the closest living relative of the woolly mammoth, with hopes to bring a mammoth equivalent to term soon. Lamm called out what he sees as hypocrisy in popular culture. 'People love Jurassic Park's dinosaurs but don't want to call our dire wolves dire wolves. It's a semantic question, not scientific. It's a human construct.' This highlights the cultural challenges Colossal faces in gaining acceptance for de-extinction. With half the world's species forecasted to be extinct or endangered within 25 years, Lamm's vision offers hope through technology. His mission goes beyond spectacle; it aims to restore ecosystems and inspire new generations in science and conservation. Colossal Biosciences is reshaping how we think about nature, responsibility, and the future of biodiversity. As Lamm puts it, 'Sometimes when you work on new things, it's scary and hard. But I'm not backing off the mission.' This pioneering blend of cutting-edge science and bold vision could soon change the natural world Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Eyewitness News
30-05-2025
- Eyewitness News
The hunt for mysterious 'Planet Nine' offers up a surprise
PARIS - It's an evocative idea that has long bedevilled scientists: a huge and mysterious planet is lurking in the darkness at the edge of our solar system, evading all our efforts to spot it. Some astronomers say the strange, clustered orbits of icy rocks beyond Neptune indicate that something big is out there, which they have dubbed Planet Nine. Now, a US-based trio hunting this elusive world has instead stumbled on what appears to be a new dwarf planet in the solar system's outer reaches. And the existence of this new kid on the block could challenge the Planet Nine theory, the researchers have calculated. Named 2017 OF201, the new object is roughly 700 kilometres (430 miles) across according to a preprint study, which has not been peer-reviewed, published online last week. That makes it three times smaller than Pluto. But that is still big enough to be considered a dwarf planet, lead study author Sihao Cheng of New Jersey's Institute for Advanced Study told AFP. - Distant traveller - The object is currently three times farther away from Earth than Neptune. And its extremely elongated orbit swings out more than 1,600 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun, taking it into the ring of icy rocks around the solar system called the Oort cloud. It goes so far out, it could have passed by stars other than our Sun in the past, Cheng said. During its 25,000-year orbit, the object is only close enough to Earth to be observed around 0.5 percent of the time, which is roughly a century. "It's already getting fainter and fainter," Cheng said. The discovery suggests "there are many hundreds of similar things on similar orbits" in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune, Cheng said. After taking a risk spending more than half a year sorting through a difficult dataset in search of Planet Nine, Cheng said he was "lucky" to have found anything at all. The researchers are requesting time to point the James Webb, Hubble and ALMA telescopes at their discovery. But Sam Deen, a 23-year-old amateur astronomer from California, has already been able to track the dwarf planet candidate through old datasets. "OF201 is, in my opinion, probably one of the most interesting discoveries in the outer solar system in the last decade," Deen told AFP. - What about Planet Nine? - The icy rocks discovered in the Kuiper belt tend to have a clustered orbit going in a particular direction. Two decades ago, astronomers proposed this was due to the gravitational pull of a world up to 10 times larger than Earth, naming it Planet Nine and kicking off a debate that has rumbled since. It is also sometimes called Planet X, a name proposed for a hypothetical world beyond Neptune more than a century ago. Back in 1930, astronomers were searching for Planet X when they discovered Pluto, which became our solar system's ninth planet. But Pluto turned out to be too tiny -- it is smaller than the Moon -- and was demoted to dwarf planet status in 2006. There are now four other officially recognised dwarf planets, and Cheng believes 2017 OF201 could join their ranks. When the researchers modelled its orbit, they found it did not follow the clustered trend of similar objects. This could pose a problem for the Planet Nine theory, but Cheng emphasised more data is needed. Samantha Lawler of Canada's University of Regina told AFP that this "great discovery" and others like it mean that "the original argument for Planet Nine is getting weaker and weaker". The Vera Rubin Observatory, which is scheduled to go online in Chile this year, is expected to shed light on this mystery, one way or another. Deen said it was discouraging that no sign of Planet Nine has been found so far, but with Vera Rubin "on the horizon I don't think we'll have to wonder about its existence for much longer". For Cheng, he still hopes that this huge planet is out there somewhere. "We're in an era when big telescopes can see almost to the edge of the universe," he said. But what is in our "backyard" still largely remains unknown, he added.
Daily Maverick
25-05-2025
- Daily Maverick
When the elders fall silent — how the loss of elephant matriarchs fractures a society
From bees to whales, it's increasingly acknowledged that creatures have cultures within which they live their daily lives. This is particularly true for elephants, and the loss of matriarchs is leading to severe social disruption. It's a crisis for elephant culture across Africa and Asia. Knowledge among elephants is passed through the footsteps and memories of their elders using vocalisations, vibrations and chemical, tactile and visual signals. Because of poaching, habitat destruction and human interventions, a crisis is unfolding: the social transmission that binds elephant societies is breaking down. Without their matriarchs – the living libraries of their kind – elephants are increasingly adrift in a world reshaped by humans. A new study led by a team of top elephant scientists and published by the Royal Society, has shone a light on this hidden dimension of elephant conservation. It warns that when experienced elephants are lost, the very fabric of elephant society unravels. This breakdown in knowledge transfer between generations threatens not just individuals, but entire populations. The study, led by Dr Lucy Bates from the University of Portsmouth, shows how social learning from older elephants underpins the very fabric of elephant life. And when those elders are killed, entire herds can lose their way. 'Elephants are among the most intelligent and socially complex animals on the planet,' said Bates. 'Our findings suggest that when their social structures are disrupted – whether through poaching, translocation or habitat loss – the consequences can ripple through generations, affecting survival, reproduction and even behaviour.' The research represents the most comprehensive review to date on the subject. Drawing on 95 peer-reviewed studies spanning African savannah, African forest and Asian elephant populations, the team found that human-caused disturbances – especially poaching and culling – have a profound impact on elephant social networks. At the heart of these networks are the matriarchs: older females who lead herds, guide migrations, remember watering holes and alert younger elephants to dangers. Their role is not symbolic – it is practical, essential and learnt over decades. The study shows that younger elephants naturally cluster around these elders, soaking up knowledge in a process not unlike mentorship in human cultures. But when poachers target the biggest tusks – often belonging to these very leaders – the knowledge pipeline is severed. 'Elders are the keepers of knowledge in elephant societies,' Bates explained. 'Their loss disrupts the transmission of essential survival skills, much like losing a library in human terms. Conserving these social ties is as important as protecting their physical habitats.' Without elders, herds become less cohesive, calves face lower survival rates and elephants may make poor decisions when confronted with predators or human threats. In some disrupted populations, elephants have responded to unfamiliar predators inappropriately or failed to access critical resources during droughts because the knowledge of those water sources was never passed down. The consequences extend beyond individual survival. Elephant societies rely on complex social bonds that influence breeding, care of the young and cooperation between groups. When those bonds are weakened, the fabric of society itself begins to fray. The research highlights how such disruption may lead to reduced reproductive success and increased mortality, with effects potentially lasting generations. Graeme Shannon, co-author from Bangor University's School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, underscores the broader implications: 'This research provides a fresh perspective on why elephant conservation must go beyond numbers. While protecting habitats is crucial, so too is recognising the importance of the social and cultural factors central to elephant society. Without them, long-term conservation success may not be possible.' The study's findings challenge traditional conservation approaches that focus mainly on habitat protection and population counts. Instead, the authors argue for a more holistic strategy – one that safeguards not only elephant bodies but also their social structures and the elders who anchor them. Their recommendations are clear: Protect key individuals: Conservation efforts must prioritise safeguarding matriarchs and other experienced elephants to maintain the flow of knowledge within herds; Monitor translocation impacts: When elephants are moved to new habitats, the social consequences on both the source and destination populations need careful evaluation; and Expand research on forest and Asian elephants: Much of the existing knowledge is biased towards African savannah elephants, leaving critical gaps in understanding other species that face intense conservation challenges. The study also calls attention to the intertwined fates of elephants and humans. As elephants share landscapes with growing human populations, conflicts are inevitable – but so are opportunities for coexistence. Preserving the cultural knowledge of elephants may benefit not only the species but also the ecological systems and human communities that depend on them. 'Understanding and safeguarding the social lives of elephants is no longer optional,' Shannon added. 'It's a necessity for ensuring these magnificent animals thrive in an increasingly human-dominated world.' This focus on culture echoes a growing recognition in the scientific community that non-human animals have complex cultures, with learnt behaviours transmitted socially rather than genetically. Just as whales pass on hunting techniques and chimpanzees teach tool use, elephants hand down migration routes, predator recognition and social etiquette through generations. The loss of elders, therefore, is not just a demographic loss – it's cultural extinction. The stakes are high. In some regions, says the report, decades of poaching have hollowed out elephant populations, leaving behind orphaned generations that lack guidance. These elephants may grow up more aggressive, more fearful or simply less competent in navigating a landscape increasingly shaped by human activities. The study warns that such behavioural shifts can have cascading ecological effects, from altered seed dispersal patterns to increased human-wildlife conflict. Some projects now prioritise protecting matriarchs or reuniting disrupted family groups. But Bates and her colleagues argue that more needs to be done to integrate social dynamics into policy and practice. 'There is an urgent need to incorporate social dynamics and cultural knowledge into elephant conservation strategies as habitat destruction and poaching escalate,' the study concludes. This research adds to a growing body of evidence that conservation must move beyond biological metrics to embrace the social and cultural dimensions of animal life. For elephants, as for humans, survival is not just about having enough to eat or a place to live – it's about having elders to learn from, stories to guide them and a community to belong to. As the world grapples with biodiversity loss and environmental change, the lesson is clear: protecting species means protecting their cultures. And for elephants, that means ensuring that the matriarchs – the living libraries of the savannah and forest – are still there to lead the way. DM
