A firm that says it can bring back the woolly mammoth 4,000 years after it vanished from the earth has just completed a $200 million (£160 million) funding round. Colossal Biosciences founder Ben Lamm is on a mission to make extinction extinct. He said: 'I believe that we will have a living woolly mammoth by late 2028. We have enough cash to do that.'. The latest fundraising was led by billionaire Chelsea football club co-owner Mark Walter and Thomas Tull, producer of the Jurassic World film.
Lamm said Colossal would not be looking to emulate Jurassic Park by bringing back dinosaurs, which he claims is not possible as there are no DNA samples. He is, however, trying to resurrect the Tasmanian tiger and the dodo. Making extinction extinct: The woolly mammoth is on track to be revived within three years. In the Jurassic Park movies, scientists found preserved DNA specimens, then spliced in the genes from other species. Colossal finds the closest living animal to the extinct creature and edits its genes, using preserved specimens as a guide.
Lamm says there are ecological benefits to this, adding that the technology may help save endangered species, and benefit human and animal healthcare through new vaccines and artificial wombs. The American entrepreneur made his fortune by founding US artificial intelligence software group Hypergiant. Other investors in Colossal, launched in 2021, include Paris Hilton and actor Chris Hemsworth, along with IQT, the investment arm of the CIA.
While the woolly mammoth is on track to be revived within three years, Lamm said that Colossal's work on the Tasmanian tiger is two years ahead of schedule. 'I think we can have it in six to seven years,' he said. Progress on the dodo is slower, but Lamm said a 'large part of the genetic engineering' had been done by altering the DNA of chickens. Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.
