Resurrecting dire wolves is just the beginning for Colossal Biosciences’ Ben Lamm
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It's about the storybook-like resurrection of the long extinct dire wolf with the CEO of Colossal Biosciences, Ben Lamb. Enjoy it. If people don't know what a dire wolf was, it wasn't just in Game of Thrones. They're a wolf that existed in North America and they went extinct about 12,500 years ago until recently. We took a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and then through a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer, aka cloning, you get an embryo, you put it into a domestic dog. 60 days later, we had our first dire wolf puppies. What do you say to people who say like, oh, it's wrong to mess with nature. It's plain God. I think that, you know, given that we're going to lose up to 50% of biodiversity between now and 2050, we have a moral obligation to do something.
That's Ben Lamb, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, the startup behind the recent viral return of the formerly extinct dire wolf. The story has garnered a lot of excitement, but equally sparked a debate about whether these dire wolves are the real thing and whether it's ethical to birth and rewild extinct animals. I asked Ben about all of this, plus how the startup attracted a roster of celebrity investors and what other animals Colossal is working on bringing back next. Whether it's lessons from Jurassic Park, cutting-edge genetic science, or the need to build your own ethical framework, Ben is provocative and compelling. So let's get to it. I'm Bob Safian, and this is Rapid Response. I'm Bob Safian.
I'm here with Ben Lamb, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences. Ben, thanks for being here. Yeah, thanks so much for having me. Excited to be here. So Colossal first came onto my radar through news about trying to resurrect the Wooly Mammoth. Colossal managed to produce some Wooly Mammoth traits in a mouse that was dubbed the Wooly Mouse, but nothing has gotten attention like the announcement that you've brought back, the long extinct Dire Wolf. Now, for people who aren't fans of Game of Thrones or Dungeons & Dragons or thought Dire Wolfs only existed in fantasy, What is a dire wolf? And of all the creatures that have disappeared, why did you focus on this one? So we started, the dire wolf just kind of happened.
You know, most people know us about the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger and the dodo. And we still are pursuing those. We give updates every, you know, probably every half a year, we give a big update on, on what we're doing on those projects. But if people don't know what a dire wolf was, it wasn't just in game of Thrones. They weren't the size of cars. They're a wolf that existed in North America, only in North America. With like 90% of the fossil record being found here in the continental United States. They were about 20 to 25% bigger than existing gray wolves. They had a thicker jaw. They had a stronger kind of cranial facial structure. They were also heavier from a weight perspective, at least from what we expect from the bone density.
And they went extinct about 12,500 years ago until recently. You obtained, found sort of ancient 12,000-year-old DNA that you bred these creatures from. Can you walk me through how you undertook this?
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–5:10
2
What sparked the interest in resurrecting the dire wolf?
5:10–6:52
3
How does Colossal Biosciences plan to de-extinct the dire wolf?
6:52–8:24
4
What ethical concerns arise from de-extinction efforts?
8:24–10:11
5
How does Colossal's technology impact conservation efforts?
10:11–10:55
6
What role does celebrity investment play in Colossal's success?
10:55–36:50