The Women Behind the Bioscience at Colossal Biosciences

Colossal Biosciences has become world-renowned for its groundbreaking work reviving long-extinct species from the woolly mammoth to the dodo bird and the Tasmanian tiger. Colossal continues to be recognized for its constant advancements to the conservation movement, including its recent announcement of an extensive 10-year conservation strategy in partnership with Re:wild. However, most people know very little about the individuals key to this illustrious startup’s work, particularly the women making de-extinction possible. Here’s a look at some of Colossal’s top female scientists and how they contribute to the company’s invaluable mission.

Four Colossal Women

Dr. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer

Known as an ancient DNA expert, Colossal’s new chief science officer and former lead paleogeneticist Dr. Beth Shapiro has been an integral adviser to the company since it was founded in 2021.

As Colossal’s lead paleogeneticist, Shapiro helped launch the Avian Genomics Group and the company’s efforts to revive the iconic dodo — a bird species that she first linked to the pigeon family in 2002, revolutionizing research into its genome and potential de-extinction.

Since working toward dodo de-extinction, Shapiro has become the first individual to fully sequence the species’ genome and has aided in developing reference genomes of two of its closest relatives — the Nicobar pigeon and the extinct flightless solitaire — to enable an advanced analysis of the dodo’s genes.

In her new position as Colossal Biosciences’ chief science officer, Shapiro will oversee the expansion of the company’s de-extinction and conservation teams as they work on a variety of key projects ranging from the revival of the woolly mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger, to the genetic rescue of the pink pigeon, northern white rhino, and Victorian grassland earless dragon — all highly threatened species with isolated populations down to their last individuals.

“There has never been more urgency to preserve species than there is today. It’s not just important for their continued existence. It’s for the greater good of the planet,” Shapiro said on Colossal’s website.

Dr. Eriona Hysolli, Head of Biological Sciences and Mammoth Lead

As a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard laboratory of pioneering geneticist and Colossal Biosciences co-founder George Church, Dr. Eriona Hysolli’s efforts toward the woolly mammoth’s de-extinction have spanned nearly a decade and with Colossal, she continues to make advancements toward reviving the species by 2028.

During her fellowship, Hysolli’s work focused on using gene editing technology to introduce the mammoth’s ancient traits into the genome of the Asian elephant to create a hybrid species.

At Colossal, this work has led to significant breakthroughs in the mammoth’s revival. Recently, Hysolli and Church announced that they had successfully reprogrammed the stem cells of an Asian elephant into induced pluripotent stem cells, a type of cell that can be further transformed into any cell in the body — a massive asset to de-extinction and conservation that allows for large-scale genetic editing and testing without a living specimen cell.

“We’re very, very excited that we have derived the first elephant-induced pluripotent stem cells,” Hysolli told NPR. “These cells will benefit the elephant conservation community just as much as being engineered to bring back the woolly mammoth.”

Sara Ord, Director of Species Restoration and Tasmanian Tiger Lead

As Colossal’s director of species restoration, Sara Ord works closely with the company’s de-extinction toolkit and is dedicated to advancing the science and technology behind endangered species conservation and de-extinction.

“I’m really excited to be a director of species restoration because I think that this is a really great opportunity to invigorate the conservation field with the new technologies that are in science,” Ord shared on Colossal Biosciences’ YouTube channel. “Colossal is one of the first companies that is using technologies like genetic engineering, cell engineering, [and] crazy stem cell biology to really help push the conservation field forward. And we can use these technologies not only for de-extinction, but also to help all endangered species.”

With one of the world’s most futuristic job titles, Ord does work largely dedicated to reviving extinct species like the beloved Tasmanian tiger. She currently leads a team that’s editing the living cells of a dunnart to resemble a Tasmanian tiger in one of the first steps toward the species’ de-extinction. While the first Tasmanian tiger joeys are still years away, Ord is “100% confident” Colossal can bring back the species, and her work advancing technology brings them one step closer each day.

Dr. Anna Keyte, Avian Species Director and Dodo Bird Lead

Specializing in avian genome engineering, Colossal’s avian species director Dr. Anna Keyte has extensively studied the use of biotechnology for bird conservation and is currently working to culture and genetically engineer avian primordial germ cells — a precursor of the sperm and egg crucial to the dodo’s de-extinction.

In birds, these primordial germ cells migrate through the blood to the gonads, meaning that once genetically modified, they can be injected into hatchlings to alter their sperm and eggs to carry the dodo’s genome into the next generation. Colossal Biosciences and Keyte are also using this technique to reintroduce lost diversity into the pink pigeon — an isolated Mauritian species down to its last 500 individuals.

At a time when 1 in 8 of all bird species are threatened with extinction, Keyte’s work is invaluable.

“The work that we do is extremely well supported such that we can make significant strides in developing a biotechnology toolkit for avian conservation and share that with the larger community,” Keyte said on Colossal’s Instagram.

Colossally Distinguished De-Extinction Champions

To address issues as complex as de-extinction, Colossal has curated a core team of the best and the brightest in their fields, and these four women represent exactly that. With these women leading some of Colossal’s most ambitious and impactful projects, the company continues to achieve major scientific breakthroughs, transforming the conservation movement and inching closer to the de-extinction of iconic species of our past.

“Many dream of embarking on an extraordinary journey. Few get to do so,” Hysolli said on Colossal’s website. “I’m fortunate to be one of the lucky few. Changing the animal world, and therefore ecosystems for the better, inspires me every day. I’m even more fortunate to work alongside so many incredible individuals who are firmly committed to realizing this vision for all our species.”