Colossal Biotech Launches De-Extinction Project for Extinct Bluebuck Antelope

In response, Lamm stated, 'We don’t think that education and excitement around ‘de-extinction’ [are] diametrically opposed to saving species. The Verge reported that Colossal has a global biobanking initiative aimed at preserving the genetic records of existing at-risk species.

McCauley stated that Colossal’s policy of making its genomes and technologies available for conservation efforts is a really great best practice.

Colossal's focus on the bluebuck represents an adjustment in its public strategy, following criticisms of earlier projects like the dire wolf announcement. The technologies emphasize versatile techniques with applications beyond de-extinction, such as in antelope conservation where about 30 percent of species face extinction threats.

Lamm highlighted the company's aim to develop an end-to-end synthetic biology pipeline hardened on difficult use cases.

McCauley noted the potential of the ovum pickup technique for harvesting eggs from living animals in preservation efforts. He described it as a useful, exportable technology that could be applied before a species goes extinct. The biobanking effort, according to Colossal, seeks to create repositories of genetic material for future scientific use, with McCauley stating that the more such repositories exist, the better.

Lamm argued that de-extinction projects serve as a way to attract attention and funding to broader conservation and science goals. ’' McCauley remained skeptical, stating that he views the approach as creating more distraction than constructive attention. The bluebuck project underscores Colossal's dual emphasis on reviving extinct species and advancing tools for current conservation challenges.

The company's open-sourcing policy applies to all technologies with conservation relevance, as Lamm confirmed. This initiative follows the 2025 dire wolf presentation, which drew intensified criticism for potentially diverting resources from pressing extinction issues.