Colossal's AI Platform Identifies Genes for Dodo De-Extinction Project

Colossal Biosciences has unveiled GenoMorph, a new AI platform designed to identify regulatory genes for its dodo de-extinction project, marking a significant step toward recreating the extinct bird's distinctive anatomy. The AI has already identified 653 candidate regulatory elements for beak size and 1,698 for beak thickness and breadth in the dodo genome. Colossal trained GenoMorph using genetic data from chickens, quails, ducks, and the Nicobar pigeon, the dodo's closest living relative, alongside skull measurements from 70 bird species. The company plans to test these candidate elements by editing them into Nicobar pigeon germ cells to produce dodo-like features. Colossal also developed a new lipid-nanoparticle method for delivering DNA and CRISPR tools into bird embryos, with initial experiments successfully altering the bone-development gene Runx2 in several species.