TechCrunch reports exclusively that Colossal Biosciences announced on Wednesday the launch of a new AI platform aimed at accelerating its efforts to “revive” extinct species.
This platform, named GenoMorph, utilizes advanced 3D morphology, comparative genomics, and developmental biology to identify genes that can be edited in projects to restore extinct species with limited genetic data. The company is using it for the work of restoring the dodo, as the genomic data available is very limited.
For example, compared to the 100 genomes that the company has already obtained from the mammoth restoration project, the dodo currently only has 1 genome available. The company states that mammoths have a more substantial genetic resource because these animals lived in cold climates, and their genomes are better preserved than those of the dodos, which lived in tropical regions.
Colossal, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, said to TechCrunch: "Usually, scientists can compare many genomes to understand which genetic differences lead to certain traits. For ancient DNA from extinct species that are DNA severely limited, we don't have such luxury, and we can only obtain a small number of complete genomes."
Lamm said that in order to build GenoMorph, the company collected a large amount of developmental data from "chickens, quails, ducks, and pigeons" and combined it with "genetic information from over 70 bird species and 3D skull measurement data." He stated that the development of this platform took more than a year and was also based on the company's years of research in restoring extinct species.
“AI will study which regions of DNA are active during the development of beak and facial structures in different bird species, and use this information to predict which genetic switches may have endowed the dodo with its iconic appearance,” he said. He described this platform as a “treasure map of the dodo genome” – it no longer forces the team to search blindly through a large number of potential genetic differences, but helps them find those that are truly important.
"So far, we have identified about 2,300 promising DNA editing targets for the craniofacial morphology of the dodo, which can now be tested in the laboratory," he continued. He stated that GenoMorph will help the company overcome one of the biggest bottlenecks in the process of restoring extinct species – identifying which changes truly make a species unique. However, Lamm also mentioned that scientists still need to test whether these edits can create the desired physical characteristics.
"We developed a new system that uses lipid nanoparticles to deliver gene editing tools directly into developing bird embryos," he said. This will allow the team to observe how certain genetic changes affect bird development "without having to wait for the entire breeding cycle until the birds reach sexual maturity."
The company also announced on Wednesday that its population of Nicobar pigeons has now increased to 36, and that they have successfully created the key cells that form eggs and sperm.
"Since the Nicobar pigeon is the closest living relative to the dodo, these cells are a key part of our strategy for creating birds that possess dodo characteristics," he said. Next, the company hopes to verify the predictions of GenoMorph in the laboratory. "What's most exciting is that we are approaching a stage where different technologies we have been developing are beginning to converge and help us with other projects on completely different branches of the tree of life," Lamm continued.
When asked whether this method of genetic editing is safe, Lamm stated that the purpose of developing technologies like GenoMorph is to make genetic engineering "more precise, more controllable, and more testable." He said that this product does not directly edit genes itself, but rather helps the team identify genetic changes that are worth studying.
"Identifying a potential editing site does not mean that we will immediately introduce it into animals, nor do we assume that it is safe," he continued. "The more precisely we can identify and verify these changes, the more informed the decisions we can make throughout the process."
