Resurrecting dire wolves is just the beginning for Colossal Biosciences’ Ben Lamm

What It Covers

Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, explains how his company resurrected dire wolves using ancient DNA and gene editing, achieving a $10 billion valuation in three years while pursuing woolly mammoths and conservation applications.

Key Questions Answered

• •Functional De-Extinction Process: Extract ancient DNA from fossils, compare genomes to closest living relatives, edit 15+ genes using CRISPR, clone via somatic cell nuclear transfer, implant in surrogate species. Dire wolves share 99.5% DNA with gray wolves, requiring minimal edits to key phenotype genes.
• •Revenue Model Strategy: Generate income through technology spinouts (Form Bio worth $100M+), future rewilding revenue via carbon credits and biodiversity credits, and conservation tool licensing. Currently pre-revenue but valued at $10 billion after three years, with founder believing company worth $100 billion long-term.
• •Blood-Based Cloning Innovation: Developed technique to clone endangered species from simple blood draws instead of invasive skin biopsies or anesthetization. Applied to red wolves (most endangered wolf globally with only 15 remaining) to create four new individuals, improving animal welfare during genetic rescue operations.
• •Conservation Technology Transfer: All technology developed for de-extinction gets shared free with conservation partners. Separately raised $50 million for Colossal Foundation to fund academic research. Working on elephant herpes virus vaccine that could save more elephants than all previous conservation efforts combined if successful.