Latest news with #BenLamm
Forbes
13-07-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Design Was Key When Building This Revolutionary Bioscience Company
Ben Lamm Ben Lamm CEO of Colossal Biosciences, Ben Lamm, is focused on is finding a new way, beyond the tried and true strategies of conservation, to stop the extinction of up to fifty percent of all animal species by 2050 — a figure released by the IUCN that could have damaging long term impacts for humanity. Lamm and his team have most famously brought back the mythical direwolf from extinction and created a woolly mouse, but not without a slew of controversy. 'Listen, if everyone liked what we are doing then I would think that we weren't trying hard enough to deliver the breakthrough technology the planet needs,' Lamm said. 'I'm not everyone's flavor, but I don't have to be. The problem is the focus, not making everyone happy,' A board member of the famed Explorer's Club, Lamm is known for his wild ideas which are primarily focused on addressing planetary dangers, bringing what was once considered fringe science to the forefront. 'Everything was fringe science at one point. Microwave ovens; electric cars; the internet,' he explained. 'We don't need to be afraid of fringe ideas. What we should be afraid of is when we stop entertaining fringe ideas and instead double down on only those technologies and solutions that have only worked in the past that we know don't scale or will eventually fail,' And while Lamm revolutionized the world of science and nature while building up his business to become the success it is today, design has been fundamental in each step of the way. 'Design was fundamental to creating Colossal. We knew that if we were successful in our mission, that Colossal had the chance of inspiring the next generation of scientists and conservationists, he explained. 'We really wanted a brand that was approachable to all, fun, educational and full of energy. We settled on this idea that we wanted to build a brand that was old school MTV-meets-Harvard. Since we are creating and evolving life, we wanted that energy to flow through the creative and even colors and copy we chose,' Colossal Biosciences When developing Colossal's digital presence, Lamm and the design team, which consists of an internal creative team and partner agencies, wanted to make something that tied back to CRISPR and genome engineering. 'That is where the Colossal "C" came from. We then really focused on the color palette and messaging to create the 'science streetwear' vibe that the brand evokes,' Lamm said. 'This had to flow through to everything from copy to apparel to web to social and all the content we create,' According to Lamm, part of the job of anyone who wants to educate younger generations on hard science or systems involves distilling the information into core concepts and find a way to present those concepts in a digestible fashion. 'We are now in the attention economy and science has to compete with the latest celebrity gossip, fashion trend or meme,' he explained. 'We need to create content in a way that excites the next generation about science and gives them hope for the future,' Ben Lamm And the company's eye-catching design and inspiring content is working, as hundreds of young people have written to Colossal to express their admiration for the company. 'We get letters from kids inspired by our work — our science, conservation efforts, and commitment to bettering the planet,' explained Dr. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer at Colossal. "I worry about them losing hope when they see how women in science are often treated.' MORE FROM FORBES Forbes This Female Scientist Brought The Dire Wolf Back From Extinction By Emma Kershaw Forbes The Science Of De-Extinction Is Providing Hope For Nature's Future By Emma Kershaw Forbes Billionaire Eugene Shvidler Revealed As The Artist Behind ES23 By Emma Kershaw
Geek Tyrant
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Director Peter Jackson Joins the Mission to Bring Back the Extinct Giant Moa with Colossal Biosciences — GeekTyrant
Sir Peter Jackson is best known for bringing Middle-earth to life on the big screen, but now he's helping bring back from the giant moa from extinction. In a groundbreaking partnership, the Lord of the Rings filmmaker has teamed up with Colossal Biosciences and New Zealand's Ngāi Tahu Research Centre to resurrect the South Island Giant Moa, a massive flightless bird that once roamed New Zealand's forests and grasslands before vanishing over 600 years ago. Joining Jackson on this wild scientific journey are Colossal CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm and Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis, who talked about how this unique collaboration came together, and what it means for science, culture, and the future of extinct species. Jackson, whose passion for prehistoric creatures dates back to childhood dreams of resurrecting dinosaurs, shared that his involvement began through filmmaker Michael Dougherty ( Godzilla: King of the Monsters ), who connected him with Lamm after making a documentary for Colossal. Jackson said: 'I did a Zoom call, met Ben, and I was disappointed in a way. Because I had a look at their website beforehand, and they were talking about bringing the Mammoth, the Dodo, and the Tasmanian Tiger [back], but there was no sign of the Moa. As soon as I got on the call with them, I said, 'Why not the Moa?'' Lamm, for his part, was thrilled to have Jackson (and Fran Walsh) on board, not just as supporters, but as key collaborators. 'Having someone like Peter involved, and Fran is amazing. Not only are they great investors and very thoughtful business people, but they also help us think through all these things. They've been incredible [and opened] up their homes to us.' Jackson and Walsh's personal bone collection turned out to be a crucial asset for Colossal's genetic reconstruction work. That led to connecting the company with the right people, including archaeologist Kyle Davis, who has deep cultural and scientific ties to the moa's legacy. Davis said: 'It's just one of those iconic lost species or lost environmental entities that captures the imagination. As a career archaeologist and environmentalist, the prospect of understanding those dynamics more to add to our own tribal story is very, very exciting.' Despite his deep involvement, Jackson isn't planning to direct a documentary on the moa project. For him, it's a passion project separate from his filmmaking life. As for what's next in Middle-earth, Jackson gave a quick update: 'The Hunt for Gollum, which is a Lord of the Rings-connected movie that Andy Serkis, who played Gollum, will direct. But we're working on the script and producing it. So that's something for next year. Yeah.' Resurrecting the giant moa may sound like something out of Jurassic Park, but this isn't fiction, it's real science, real collaboration, and a real chance to restore a lost part of the planet's ecosystem. More details you can watch the videos below from CBM.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Giant, flightless bird is next target for de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences
A species of huge, flightless bird that once inhabited New Zealand disappeared around 600 years ago, shortly after human settlers first arrived on the country's two main islands. Now, a Texas-based biotech company says it has a plan to bring it back. Genetic engineering startup Colossal Biosciences has added the South Island giant moa — a powerful, long-necked species that stood 10 feet (3 meters) tall and may have kicked in self-defense — to a fast-expanding list of animals it wants to resurrect by genetically modifying their closest living relatives. The company stirred widespread excitement, as well as controversy, when it announced the birth of what it described as three dire wolf pups in April. Colossal scientists said they had resurrected the canine predator last seen 10,000 years ago by using ancient DNA, cloning and gene-editing technology to alter the genetic make-up of the gray wolf, in a process the company calls de-extinction. Similar efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth, the dodo and the thylacine, better known as the Tasmanian tiger, are also underway. To restore the moa, Colossal Biosciences announced Tuesday it would collaborate with New Zealand's Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, an institution based at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, that was founded to support the Ngāi Tahu, the main Māori tribe of the southern region of New Zealand. The project would initially involve recovering and analyzing ancient DNA from nine moa species to understand how the giant moa (Dinornis robustus) differed from living and extinct relatives in order to decode its unique genetic makeup, according to a company statement. 'There is so much knowledge that will be unlocked and shared on the journey to bring back the iconic moa,' Ben Lamm, CEO and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences, said in the statement. For example, the company said, researching the genomes of all moa species would be 'valuable for informing conservation efforts and understanding the role of climate change and human activity in biodiversity loss.' Colossal, which has raised at least $435 million since it was founded by Lamm and Harvard University geneticist George Church in 2021, has committed 'a large investment' to New Zealand, the company said without giving further details. Peter Jackson, the New Zealand-born 'Lord of the Rings' director, who is one of a number of high-profile investors in the company, is also involved with the project. He has one of the largest private collections of moa bones, according to the Associated Press. Scott MacDougall-Shackleton, cofounder and director of the Advanced Facility for Avian Research at Western University in London, Ontario, said that because the moa went extinct in the past few hundred years there were extensive bones, egg shell fragments, and even feathers that could be studied. He was not involved in the research. 'The primary explanation for their extinction is overhunting and habitat change following the arrival of Polynesian peoples to the island,' he explained via email. 'Prior to this they had very few predators,' he said. 'This is a pattern for flightless birds on islands that have very little defence against hunting or predation (like dodos).' The idea of reviving a species like this was 'intellectually interesting, but really should be a low priority,' MacDougall-Shackleton said. 'If we are concerned about island bird conservation there are hundreds of threatened and critically endangered species in New Zealand, Hawaii and other Pacific islands that need conservation resources more urgently.' As part of the project, Colossal said it would undertake ecological restoration projects in New Zealand, focusing on rehabilitating potential moa habitats while supporting existing native species. Many scientists argue that while Colossal's researchers are advancing the field of genetic engineering, it's not truly possible to resurrect an extinct animal — any attempt could only create a genetically modified, hybrid species. Suggesting that extinction can be reversed through technology risks undermining the urgency of conserving existing species and ecosystems, critics say. Lamm, Colossal's CEO, told CNN's Fareed Zakaria last month that the biotechnology Colossal develops will be used to help rescue animals on the brink of extinction as well as those that have already disappeared. For example, he said, Colossal has produced two litters of cloned red wolves, the most critically endangered wolf species, using a new, less invasive approach to cloning developed during the dire wolf research. 'I think that we could have a scalable de-extinction system that isn't going to replace conservation, but it is kind of that additional backup that I think we need, especially in these dire cases,' Lamm said. Scott Edwards, a professor of organismic and evolutionary biology and curator of ornithology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, said he was excited by the project although the techniques necessary to bring back the giant moa would be different to the dire wolf, because birds develop in an egg, making the process more challenging, he said. 'It's important that science reaches for the stars and, you know, I do understand the ethical concerns with bringing (these birds back) especially if there's no place for them,' Edwards, who was not involved in the project, said. 'But if it works it will impress upon humanity just how much we've lost.'
CNN
09-07-2025
- Science
- CNN
Giant, flightless bird is next target for de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences
A species of huge, flightless bird that once inhabited New Zealand disappeared around 600 years ago, shortly after human settlers first arrived on the country's two main islands. Now, a Texas-based biotech company says it has a plan to bring it back. Genetic engineering startup Colossal Biosciences has added the South Island giant moa — a powerful, long-necked species that stood 10 feet (3 meters) tall and may have kicked in self-defense — to a fast-expanding list of animals it wants to resurrect by genetically modifying their closest living relatives. The company stirred widespread excitement, as well as controversy, when it announced the birth of what it described as three dire wolf pups in April. Colossal scientists said they had resurrected the canine predator last seen 10,000 years ago by using ancient DNA, cloning and gene-editing technology to alter the genetic make-up of the gray wolf, in a process the company calls de-extinction. Similar efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth, the dodo and the thylacine, better known as the Tasmanian tiger, are also underway. To restore the moa, Colossal Biosciences announced Tuesday it would collaborate with New Zealand's Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, an institution based at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, that was founded to support the Ngāi Tahu, the main Māori tribe of the southern region of New Zealand. The project would initially involve recovering and analyzing ancient DNA from nine moa species to understand how the giant moa (Dinornis robustus) differed from living and extinct relatives in order to decode its unique genetic makeup, according to a company statement. 'There is so much knowledge that will be unlocked and shared on the journey to bring back the iconic moa,' Ben Lamm, CEO and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences, said in the statement. For example, the company said, researching the genomes of all moa species would be 'valuable for informing conservation efforts and understanding the role of climate change and human activity in biodiversity loss.' Colossal, which has raised at least $435 million since it was founded by Lamm and Harvard University geneticist George Church in 2021, has committed 'a large investment' to New Zealand, the company said without giving further details. Peter Jackson, the New Zealand-born 'Lord of the Rings' director, who is one of a number of high-profile investors in the company, is also involved with the project. He has one of the largest private collections of moa bones, according to the Associated Press. Scott MacDougall-Shackleton, cofounder and director of the Advanced Facility for Avian Research at Western University in London, Ontario, said that because the moa went extinct in the past few hundred years there were extensive bones, egg shell fragments, and even feathers that could be studied. He was not involved in the research. 'The primary explanation for their extinction is overhunting and habitat change following the arrival of Polynesian peoples to the island,' he explained via email. 'Prior to this they had very few predators,' he said. 'This is a pattern for flightless birds on islands that have very little defence against hunting or predation (like dodos).' The idea of reviving a species like this was 'intellectually interesting, but really should be a low priority,' MacDougall-Shackleton said. 'If we are concerned about island bird conservation there are hundreds of threatened and critically endangered species in New Zealand, Hawaii and other Pacific islands that need conservation resources more urgently.' As part of the project, Colossal said it would undertake ecological restoration projects in New Zealand, focusing on rehabilitating potential moa habitats while supporting existing native species. Many scientists argue that while Colossal's researchers are advancing the field of genetic engineering, it's not truly possible to resurrect an extinct animal — any attempt could only create a genetically modified, hybrid species. Suggesting that extinction can be reversed through technology risks undermining the urgency of conserving existing species and ecosystems, critics say. Discover your world Go beyond the headlines and explore the latest scientific achievements and fascinating discoveries. Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Lamm, Colossal's CEO, told CNN's Fareed Zakaria last month that the biotechnology Colossal develops will be used to help rescue animals on the brink of extinction as well as those that have already disappeared. For example, he said, Colossal has produced two litters of cloned red wolves, the most critically endangered wolf species, using a new, less invasive approach to cloning developed during the dire wolf research. 'I think that we could have a scalable de-extinction system that isn't going to replace conservation, but it is kind of that additional backup that I think we need, especially in these dire cases,' Lamm said. Scott Edwards, a professor of organismic and evolutionary biology and curator of ornithology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, said he was excited by the project although the techniques necessary to bring back the giant moa would be different to the dire wolf, because birds develop in an egg, making the process more challenging, he said. 'It's important that science reaches for the stars and, you know, I do understand the ethical concerns with bringing (these birds back) especially if there's no place for them,' Edwards, who was not involved in the project, said. 'But if it works it will impress upon humanity just how much we've lost.'
NZ Herald
09-07-2025
- Science
- NZ Herald
Moa de-extinction plans: Greens react, say money would be better spent saving living species
Sir Peter Jackson and Colossal Biosciences chief executive Ben Lamm are aiming to bring the moa back from extinction. The Greens have reacted to plans to bring the South Island giant moa back from the dead, saying that the money would be better spent trying to save endangered species. It was revealed today that United States-based Colossal Biosciences, which is also behind de-extinction projects for
