Colossal Biosciences Incubates Startup Empire

Colossal Biosciences, a company known for its ambitious de-extinction projects like resurrecting the woolly mammoth and dire wolf, is concurrently developing a portfolio of independent startups. These ventures aim to commercialize the underlying technologies and scientific advancements pioneered within Colossal. To date, three distinct companies have emerged from Colossal's incubation efforts. The first, Form Bio, has secured tens of millions of dollars in funding. Form Bio utilizes an AI-enhanced platform designed to accelerate scientific research, built upon software originally developed internally at Colossal. This platform is intended to streamline and expedite the process of scientific discovery. The second startup is Breaking, which focuses on plastic degradation. Breaking aims to scale the application of a specific microbe, identified as X-32. This microbe possesses the capability to break down hydrocarbons, and Breaking's objective is to enhance this natural process through genetic engineering to achieve more efficient plastic decomposition. The third company, Astromech, was founded in the past year and recently completed a $20 million funding round. Astromech is developing a genetics data platform that trains artificial intelligence models on extensive evolutionary and genetic datasets. The company anticipates that these models will eventually be capable of predicting threats to large biological systems. Specific applications cited by Astromech include understanding disease risks within populations, modeling how species respond to environmental changes such as climate change and disease outbreaks, and identifying ecosystems that are at risk. Astromech has reported mapping 46 genes that are associated with cellular maintenance, cancer resistance, and longevity, and has raised approximately $60 million in total funding. Colossal Biosciences has garnered significant media attention for its de-extinction initiatives, including the creation of "woolly mice" and dire wolf facsimiles. Beyond the de-extinction narrative, the company is also generating interest for its progress in developing novel biotechnologies that could enable more ambitious biological advancements. Colossal's CEO, Ben Lamm, has articulated a vision of "true dominion over life," where invasive species could be eradicated and lost species could be brought back, suggesting a future where humanity has unprecedented control over the biological world.