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The New Yorker presents an extensive examination of Colossal Biosciences’ de-extinction work, particularly focusing on their achievement in reviving the dire wolf after 12,000 years of extinction. The article details how CEO Ben Lamm and Harvard geneticist George Church founded the company to bring back extinct species, starting with three dire wolf pups—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi. Through sophisticated genetic engineering, Colossal scientists identified 14 key genes with 20 specific genetic variants that differentiate dire wolves from gray wolves, then used CRISPR gene editing to modify cells taken from gray wolf blood samples. The white-coated pups, now five months old and weighing about 80 pounds, display distinctive traits including more powerful shoulders, wider heads, and wild behavior that keeps them distant from humans. The article also examines the company’s business model, which has attracted $435 million in funding and reached a valuation of $10.2 billion, with plans to monetize both conservation efforts and spin-off technologies. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/14/the-dire-wolf-is-back