Winter Is….Here! Celebrity-Backed Colossal Biosciences De-Extincts The Dire Wolf

In a monumental scientific breakthrough, Colossal Biosciences has resurrected the long-extinct dire wolf, a majestic creature previously relegated to the realms of fantasy and popular culture, most notably the TV series "Game of Thrones."

The celebrity-backed company's extraordinary achievement, marked by the birth of three dire wolves, signifies the world's first successful de-extinction of an animal, paving the way for the potential revival of countless other lost species. It’s no wonder A-listers like Tom Brady, Paris Hilton, Peter Jackson, Tiger Woods, Seth Green, and Game of Thrones stars Sophie Turner and Kit Harrington have all become backers of Colossal.

“I could not be more proud of the team. This massive milestone is the first of many coming examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works,” said the CEO of Colossal Ben Lamm. “Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies. It was once said, ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation."

The dire wolf puppies, christened Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi, are flourishing within a sprawling, 2,000-acre private reserve meticulously designed to cater to their every need, providing ample space for exploration, play, and social interaction. Colossal also announced the birth of two litters of red wolves, the world's most endangered wolf species, achieved through a groundbreaking new cloning technology developed by the company.

“Many people view dire wolves as mythical creatures that only exist in a fantasy world, but in reality, they have a rich history of contributing to the American ecosystem,” said Game of Thrones creator, esteemed author, and Colossal Investor and Cultural Advisor George R.R. Martin. “I get the luxury to write about magic, but Ben and Colossal have created magic by bringing these majestic beasts back to our world.”

The company's work transcends the realm of de-extinction, holding profound implications for broader conservation efforts. Dr. George Church, Colossal's co-founder, and a distinguished Harvard geneticist, underscored the critical importance of preserving genetic diversity before species vanish into oblivion.

“Preserving, expanding, and testing genetic diversity should be done well before important endangered animal species like the red wolf are lost. Another source of ecosystem variety stems from our new technologies to de-extinct lost genes, including deep ancient DNA sequencing, polyphyletic trait analyses, multiplex germline editing, and cloning. The dire wolf is an early example of this, including the largest number of precise genomic edits in a healthy vertebrate so far. A capability that is growing exponentially.”

Colossal's achievement is a huge step forward in conservation. It shows that with technology and human ingenuity, we can bring back creatures once thought to be lost forever. This breakthrough has big potential, giving us hope for restoring damaged ecosystems, preserving biodiversity, and better understanding the web of life that sustains our planet.