Colossal Biosciences Unveils New AI Platform to Speed Up De-Extinction Efforts

Colossal Unveils New AI Platform to Accelerate Its De-Extinction Efforts, as Peter Diamandis Launches a Fund to Back Startups Using It

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The platform, called GenoMorph, uses advanced 3D morphology, comparative genomics and developmental biology to identify genes that can be edited in extinction projects with limited gene data. It uses it as part of its effort to bring back the dodo bird, which has limited genomes to work with.

For example, the company is working with just one dodo genome compared to the 100 genomes it was able to obtain as part of its woolly mammoth extinction project. According to the company, woolly mammoth DNA is more abundant because the colder climate in which the animal lived preserved the DNA better than in the tropics where the dodo lived.

"Normally, scientists can compare many genomes to figure out which genetic differences are responsible for specific traits," Colossal CEO and co-founder Ben Lam told TechCrunch. We don't have that luxury with ancient DNA from extinct species whose DNA is extremely limited and we can only get a small number of complete genomes.

To build GenoMorph, Lamm said the company collected a wealth of growth data from chickens, quail, ducks and pigeons and combined it with genetic information and 3D skull measurements from more than 70 bird species. He said it took more than a year of work to build the platform, which is also based on the company's years of work.

The AI learns which regions of DNA are active as different birds develop their beaks and facial structures, and uses this information to predict which genetic switches gave the dodo its iconic appearance. He said he envisions the platform as a "treasure map for the Dodo genome," where GenoMorph allows the Colossal team to find only the genetic differences that matter, rather than searching through a bunch of potential genetic differences.

"So far we have identified approximately 2,300 promising DNA editing targets for dodo craniofacial morphology that we can now test in the lab," he continued. He said GenoMorph helps the company tackle one of its biggest bottlenecks in trying to de-extinct animals — figuring out which changes really make an extinct species unique. But Lam said scientists also need to test whether these edits can create the physical properties they need.

"We have developed a new system that uses lipid nanoparticles to deliver gene-editing tools directly into developing bird embryos," he said. This allows the team to see how certain genetic changes affect a bird's development "without having to wait through a reproductive cycle that requires birds to reach sexual maturity."

The company also announced on Wednesday that its Nicobar pigeon colony now has 36 birds and has successfully created the necessary cells that become eggs and sperm.

"Since the Nicobar pigeon is the dodo's closest living relative, these cells are an important part of our strategy to create birds with dodo characteristics," he said. Next, the company hopes to prove what GenoMorph predicts in the lab. "The most exciting thing is that we're getting to the point where the different technologies we're developing are starting to converge and help projects that we're working on in a completely different part of the tree of life," Lam continued.

When asked if it was safe to edit genes in this way, Lam said that the goal of developing technology like GenoMorph is to make genetic engineering "more precise, more controlled and more testable." The product doesn't edit the genes themselves, he said, but it helps his team identify which genetic changes are worth investigating.

"Identifying a potential edit does not mean immediately introducing it to an animal or assuming it is safe," he continued. "The more accurately we can identify and validate these changes, the more informed our decisions will be throughout the process."

Meanwhile, Colossal Biosciences' latest technology has already received a vote of confidence from XPRIZE founder Peter Diamandis. Diamandis, an investor in Colossal, announced Wednesday that it has formed a new VC firm, NeoGenesis Capital, to support companies that use Colossal Biosciences' programmable biology platform across health, agriculture and conservation.

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Dominique-Madhuri Davis is a senior venture capital and startup reporter at TechCrunch. He is based in New York City.

You can contact or confirm Dominic by sending an email to [email protected] or by encrypted message to +1 646 831-7565 on Signal.

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