To "go the way of the dodo" could come to mean something very different if Colossal Biosciences has its way. The Texas startup—founded in 2021 and bent on seeing the "de-extinction" of certain species—claims it has made a key advancement in its efforts to resurrect the bird, which was last seen on Mauritius in the 17th century. The Guardian reports that on Wednesday, the company announced it had successfully cultivated primordial germ cells (PGCs) from pigeons, which the paper describes as "precursor cells to sperm and eggs." As Colossal trumpets on Facebook, "the path to dodo de-extinction has been forged."
This step, the company says, brings it closer to using gene-edited surrogates—specifically chickens injected with Nicobar pigeon cells, dodos' nearest living relatives—to eventually breed dodos. The Observer notes it "marks the first time PGC culture has been achieved beyond chickens and geese." "Rough ballpark, we think it's still five to seven years out, but it's not 20 years out," Colossal CEO Ben Lamm said of the dodo bird timeline, per the Guardian.
The company is already partnering with wildlife groups to pinpoint rat-free areas of Mauritius that could be suitable for the birds, which were last spotted on the Indian Ocean island in 1662. "Our goal is to make enough dodos with enough genetic diversity engineered into them that we can put them back into the wild where they can truly thrive," Lamm said. "So we're not looking to make two dodos, we're looking to make thousands."
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Colossal, also known for its attempts to recreate mammoths and dire wolves, continues to have its critics, including some biologists who raise concerns about the authenticity and ecological impact of gene-edited species, as well as the practicality of their reintroduction amid ongoing habitat loss. But it has some deep-pocketed supporters as well: Bloomberg reports the company has raised another $120 million, bringing its valuation to $10.3 billion.
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