Colossal Biosciences advances dodo de-extinction with new AI tool

Colossal Biosciences announced Wednesday it has advanced its effort to resurrect the extinct dodo bird using a new AI tool called GenoMorph, which identified 2,300 DNA targets linked to dodo traits. The company plans to edit a Nicobar pigeon's genome with dodo DNA to create a "functional" dodo, though it lacks a complete dodo genome and faces challenges with egg-based gestation. Colossal also reported using lipid nanoparticles for genomic editing in an egg for the first time. Critics argue this approach creates a hybrid, not a true dodo, but Colossal's leadership defines de-extinction as restoring an ecological niche, citing arbitrary species boundaries and prioritizing animal welfare in their work.