Latest news with #direwolf
TechCrunch
a day ago
- Entertainment
- TechCrunch
Colossal Labs will release the sounds of dire wolves howling ‘later this year,' founder says
Ben Lamm, the billionaire founder of Colossal Labs, and Sophie Turner spoke about his company's efforts in reviving the long-extinct dire wolf during a panel at SXSW's first London outpost. The wolf re-entered the public consciousness because of the television show 'Game of Thrones,' in which Turner was a leading character. It turns out that even she thought that dire wolves were mythical creatures. 'Were you a fan of 'Game of Thrones'?' Turner asked. 'I was a fan of 'Game of Thrones,'' Lamm said. 'When 'Game of Thrones' came out, which was a while ago, I never thought, 'Oh, by the way, one day we'll make dragons or dire wolves.' Lamm retold the story of how he and his team at Colossal 'brought back' the dire wolf species, which had been extinct for more than 10,000 years. He also provided some updates as to what the company is working on next, including a bio-acoustic project, announced just a few weeks ago. Lamm said his dire wolves started howling at 3 weeks old, responding to human singing and the sounds of owls. The first two, Romulus and Remus, are now around 6 months old. Lamm and his team are looking at ways to use AI to help monitor the behavior of the wolves, identifying patterns of their emotions and 'wolf linguistics,' as he put it. 'What's crazy about it is the dire wolves have their own unique pitch and inflection,' Lamm told the crowd. 'We're going to release that later this year,' he said, referring to a bio-acoustic project, which will map out the different types of dire wolf howls. Techcrunch event Save now through June 4 for TechCrunch Sessions: AI Save $300 on your ticket to TC Sessions: AI—and get 50% off a second. Hear from leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Khosla Ventures, and more during a full day of expert insights, hands-on workshops, and high-impact networking. These low-rate deals disappear when the doors open on June 5. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW The wolves live on a 2,000-acre preservation in a top-secret location. He referred to the park as 'very Yellowstone.' It has an animal hospital, as well as full-time caretakers and full-time security. The wolves are learning socialization tactics that would help them in the wild. 'They're starting to do some light predation on the preserve,' he said. 'They're becoming more and more true wolf-like every day.' He also said that they are about to officially introduce the two wolves to a newly created dire wolf, a female named Khalessi, who is around 3 months old. The public met Colossal Labs' efforts to 'de-extinct' animals with fascination and skepticism, with the top criticism being that Colossal's dire wolves are merely genetically edited gray wolves. But investors seem quite interested in where Colossal could be headed with its innovation. TechCrunch reported back in March that the company is looking to 'revive' the Tasmanian tiger and the dodo, two other extinct animals. The company announced this year a $200 million Series C at a $10.2 billion valuation and said in March it genetically modified mice to grow mammoth-like fur. (Lamm said it impressively took only a month to do.) Turner did ask Lamm a question that he unsurprisingly gets quite often. 'What about dinosaurs?' she asked. 'Can you bring them back?' He said his company isn't focused on that at the moment, as bringing a dinosaur back is quite complicated, Lamm explained. But later in the conversation, he said there might be a new update coming from Colossal soon. 'I think maybe this summer, there could be a dodo update that's interesting,' he said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The dire wolf is (kind of) back
The dire wolf is back—sort of. Biotech firm Colossal Biosciences used DNA from dire wolf fossils and surrogate dogs to produce three wolf pups. But University at Buffalo biologist Vincent Lynch says the results merely recreate the animal's outward appearance, not the species itself. Colossal CEO Ben Lamm joined The Beat to explain why they sequenced the genome—and why a real-life "Jurassic Park" isn't on the horizon.
CNA
7 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Singapore data handling firm DataPost probing alleged ransomware attack
SINGAPORE: Data handling service provider DataPost is in the early stages of investigating an alleged ransomware attack, the Singapore-based company said on Thursday (May 29). DataPost, which works with government agencies and financial institutions, among others, told CNA its investigations "will take time to complete". In response to queries from CNA, a spokesperson from the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) said that it is aware of the case and is also investigating. In ransomware attacks, threat actors typically use malicious software to encrypt files on servers, then demand a ransom in exchange for unlocking these files. The alleged attack on DataPost was recorded on May 26 and flagged the next day by infosecurity blog RedPacket Security and cybersecurity platform HookPhish. The breach led to data exfiltration, or the unauthorised transfer of data, and appeared to involve multiple tools and personnel, suggesting a coordinated attack, according to RedPacket Security. The threat group was identified as "direwolf", and allegedly used various infostealers – or malicious software that breaches computer systems – to gather the data. CNA has contacted DataPost for further comment on the scale and severity of the attack. DataPost provides e-invoicing services to financial institutions, insurance companies, telecommunication companies and government agencies in Singapore and Malaysia. It handles over 40 million documents per month, according to its website. The company said its facilities are audited annually by banks and third-party auditors to ensure compliance with data security and operational security requirements. Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has accredited DataPost as the service provider for InvoiceNow, a nationwide e-invoicing network. Through InvoiceNow, companies can transmit e-invoices in a standard digital format across different finance systems. DataPost told CNA that it will comply with all regulatory obligations throughout the course of the investigation.
Geek Girl Authority
12-05-2025
- Science
- Geek Girl Authority
Beth Shapiro's Quest to Revive the Past and Save the Future
In the world of evolutionary biology, few scientists have made as significant an impact on both academic research and practical conservation as Dr. Beth Shapiro . Recently elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, Shapiro has established herself as a trailblazing force in paleogenomics—the study of ancient DNA—and is now applying her expertise to one of science's most ambitious endeavors: bringing extinct species back to life. From Academic Excellence to De-Extinction Leadership Shapiro's impressive credentials speak to a career dedicated to understanding the genetic history of our planet. A professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, she has been recognized as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, an HHMI Professor, and received the MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowship in 2009. Her academic work in the Paleogenomics Lab at UC Santa Cruz has focused on using genetic material recovered from ancient remains to study evolution and track how species and ecosystems have changed over time. Currently on leave from her university position, Shapiro serves as Chief Science Officer at Colossal Biosciences, where she has played a pivotal role in the successful de-extinction of the dire wolf —a species that disappeared approximately 12,000 years ago. 'What conservation needs is bold ideas and bold action,' Shapiro explains regarding the breakthrough. 'This breakthrough showcases that humans are capable of both. We can use biotechnologies to speed up the processes of selection and adaptation. With the successful birth of Colossal's engineered dire wolf , we are one step closer to a world in which these tools are among those at our disposal to help species thrive in their rapidly changing habitats.' Revolutionizing Ancient DNA Analysis Under Shapiro's scientific leadership, Colossal achieved what many considered impossible: extracting viable genetic information from dire wolf fossils dating back 13,000 and 72,000 years, then using this information to guide precision genetic engineering. 'Our novel approach to iteratively improve our ancient genome in the absence of a perfect reference sets a new standard for paleogenome reconstruction,' Shapiro notes. 'Together with improved approaches to recover ancient DNA, these computational advances allowed us to resolve the evolutionary history of dire wolves and establish the genomic foundation for de-extinction—specifically for selecting with confidence dire wolf specific genetic variants that establish our targets for gene editing.' This methodical approach led to several significant discoveries about dire wolf evolution . Contrary to previous uncertainty, Shapiro's team confirmed that gray wolves are the dire wolves' closest living relatives, sharing 99.5% of their DNA. They also discovered that dire wolves emerged through hybridization of two ancient canid lineages between 3.5 and 2.5 million years ago, resolving longstanding questions about the species' origins. Building a Bridge Between De-Extinction and Conservation Perhaps most significantly, Shapiro has ensured that the de-extinction technology developed for the dire wolf provides immediate benefits for endangered species conservation. The same techniques used to resurrect the dire wolf have already been applied to clone critically endangered red wolves , demonstrating how cutting-edge genomic science can directly support traditional conservation efforts. 'Functional de-extinction uses the safest and most effective approach to bring back the lost phenotypes that make an extinct species unique,' Shapiro explains. 'We turn to ancient DNA to learn as much as we can about each species and, whenever possible, to link specific extinct DNA sequence variants to each key trait. In some cases, we learn that variants already present in the surrogate species can be used to engineer that key trait.' This thoughtful, science-based approach highlights Shapiro's commitment to both innovation and ethical considerations. Rather than rushing to recreate extinct species without considering potential genetic side effects, her team carefully evaluates each genetic modification for its broader impacts on animal health and welfare. Communicating Science to the Public Beyond her research, Shapiro is an accomplished science communicator. Her award-winning books, including 'Life as We Made It,' explore genetic modification in the context of history, archaeology, paleontology, and genomics. This ability to translate complex scientific concepts for general audiences has made her a valuable voice in public discussions about de-extinction and conservation genetics. Her election to the National Academy of Sciences recognizes not only her groundbreaking research but also her role in establishing new scientific frameworks that may reshape our approach to biodiversity conservation in the 21st century. The Future of Conservation Genomics As Colossal moves forward with plans for additional de-extinction projects, including the woolly mammoth by 2028, Shapiro's scientific leadership ensures that these efforts remain grounded in rigorous research methodology and ethical considerations. The successful revival of dire wolves isn't just a technological milestone—it's a testament to how paleogenomics, under the guidance of scientists like Shapiro, can provide new pathways for addressing biodiversity challenges. Her work represents a promising convergence of ancient DNA analysis, cutting-edge genetic engineering, and practical conservation applications that may help us preserve and even restore Earth's threatened biodiversity. With her recent election to the National Academy of Sciences adding further validation to her innovative approach, Beth Shapiro stands as a pioneer at the frontier of what may be the next evolution of conservation science—using our understanding of the past to create new possibilities for the future. Mood Altering Plants Infect Eerie LITTLE JOE Trailer RELATED: REVIVAL: Check Out 9 First-Look Photos From Melanie Scrofano-Led Series
