Interior Department Partners With Dallas Biotech Firm to Build Genetic Archive of Endangered Species

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced a partnership Thursday with Colossal Biosciences to create a genomic and biobanking archive for every species protected under the Endangered Species Act. Usa Today reported the agreement pairs the Dallas-based company with the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service. The framework focuses on preserving genetic diversity among threatened and endangered species, expanding scientific understanding of genomic applications in conservation, and exploring emerging technologies to strengthen recovery efforts.

The partnership will integrate whole-genome sequence data into federal recovery plans and build a free genomic data platform open to researchers, wildlife managers, and conservation organizations worldwide.

He added that the partnership brings together the scientific expertise of the U.S. Colossal Biosciences produced three gene-edited gray wolf pups in 2025 that it described as revived dire wolves and engineered a woolly mouse with mammoth-like traits.

The company has stated it aims to produce woolly mammoth calves by 2028. Ben Lamm, CEO and co-founder, said the project seeks to create a "modern-day Noah's Ark" from DNA as a permanent genetic backup of the nation's more than 2,300 ESA-listed species. Lamm compared the effort to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, stating it aims to preserve the genetic diversity of life itself.

He added that every species represents a library of evolutionary innovation millions of years in the making. U.S.

The entities will identify opportunities to expand biobanking, develop approaches to integrate genomic information into conservation planning, establish data management best practices, and support training in conservation genomics.