Colossal, the US biotech that wants to use DNA to bring the dodo and Tassie tiger back from extinction, donated $2.3 million to the University of Melbourne

US genetic engineering and biosciences startup Colossal has donated US$1.5 million (A$2.3m) to the University of Melbourne to support Australian avian conservation genomics.

The funding has come from the Colossal Foundation. Colossal was founded software entrepreneur Ben Lamm and geneticist George Church in 2021 and went on to raise more than US$225m in venture funding. The biotech startup was the first to apply CRISPR technology (DNA modification) for the goal of species de-extinction. Bringing the woolly mammoth, dodo and Tasmania tiger back to life are on the startup’s hit list.

Lamm, Colossal’s CEO, said the funding will drive the development of an advanced genomics toolkit for new approaches to the conservation of bird species in Australia and around the world.

“Right now, one in eight bird species is at risk of extinction,” he said.

“As bird species disappear, we lose key components of ecosystems, including pollinators, insectivores, and spreaders of seeds, with negative impacts for both human and planetary health. We are excited that the Colossal Foundation can partner with the research team at the University of Melbourne to develop tools to address this global challenge.”

The infamous 2019-20 summer bushfires resulted in 27 bird species being added to the threatened list. An estimated 29 Australian bird species have become extinct in the last 200 years and a further 200 are threatened with extinction.

A lab run by Professor Andrew Pask has scored the cash to support the sequencing and annotation of high-quality reference genomes for several bird species, as well as the development of stem cell and gene editing technologies for birds.

That will make it possible to identify species threatened by the loss of genetic diversity and, eventually, to use the tools of genome engineering to improve their chances of survival.

“Birds currently lag behind their mammalian counterparts in our ability to manipulate their DNA code,” Prof Pask said.

“These tools will be an important first step toward using gene editing technologies to help birds adapt to their changing habitats, such as by engineering resistance to introduced pathogens or reintroducing lost genetic diversity.”

Colossal chief science officer Beth Shapiro said the donation will expand the list of high quality reference genomes from across the Avian tree of life, adding key data to global efforts including the Bird10K and EarthBiogenome projects.

“Genomes play a crucial role in conservation by providing the complete blueprint of a species evolutionary history,” she said

“Studying genomes allows us to identify genetic variants that enable species to withstand environmental changes, resist disease, and thrive in specific habitats. Genomes also allow us to identify genetically distinct populations that may require targeted protection efforts, helping prioritize conservation efforts.”

Along with with the development of stem cell technologies and gene editing methods across bird species, this genomic information can be used to develop strategies for breeding programs, to reintroduce genetic diversity in endangered populations, and even explore de-extinction possibilities, ultimately restoring lost biodiversity.