In April 2025, Colossal Biosciences stunned the world by announcing the birth of three dire wolf pups—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—the first animals ever brought back from extinction. For many, the achievement seemed closer to fantasy than science, yet it was grounded in years of research, thousands of hours in the lab, and a record-breaking 20 precise gene edits across 14 genes. The dire wolf became more than an Ice Age predator revived; it became the proof that extinction could be reversed.
Now, Colossal is turning that success into a global platform. In August 2025, the company announced the appointment of Professor Andrew Pask, a leading expert in marsupial genetics, as its new Chief Biology Officer (CBO). With the launch of Colossal Australia at the University of Melbourne, Pask will oversee international programs focused on species like the thylacine, moa, and dodo—all while drawing on the lessons learned from the dire wolf.
The dire wolf project did more than demonstrate the feasibility of de-extinction; it set the standard for precision, scale, and cultural resonance. Under Pask’s leadership, that standard is now being extended to new species and ecosystems.
The Dire Wolf Milestone
Before Colossal’s announcement, the dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) was known only from fossils and popular imagination. Unlike woolly mammoths, which left behind frozen tissue in permafrost, dire wolves provided researchers only with ancient DNA fragments extracted from fossilized teeth and bones.
Rebuilding a genome from such degraded samples was a scientific challenge few thought possible. Yet Colossal’s team succeeded, identifying the critical genetic variants that distinguished dire wolves from modern gray wolves. Using CRISPR technology, scientists edited gray wolf DNA to reflect these ancient traits, then transferred the nuclei into enucleated dog eggs. Surrogate domestic dogs carried the embryos to term, resulting in the birth of three healthy dire wolf pups.
This effort demonstrated Colossal’s end-to-end de-extinction technology stack, integrating ancient DNA analysis, multiplex CRISPR editing, and advanced reproductive cloning. Most importantly, it established a technical baseline that other projects—like the thylacine and dodo—could follow.
Andrew Pask Joins as Chief Biology Officer
The appointment of Andrew Pask as Chief Biology Officer is both a symbolic and practical expansion of Colossal’s work. Pask is best known for his pioneering research on the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), also called the Tasmanian tiger, which was declared extinct in 1936. At the University of Melbourne, Pask’s TIGGR (Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research) lab developed one of the most complete genome reconstructions of the species and advanced marsupial reproductive technologies.
Now, Pask will guide Colossal’s entire developmental biology portfolio. This includes not only marsupials like the thylacine but also birds like the dodo and moa, and megafauna like the woolly mammoth. His appointment signals a shift from Colossal being a Texas-based startup to becoming a truly global biotechnology company.
“Andrew’s work is embedded in Colossal’s DNA,” said Ben Lamm, the company’s CEO. “As CBO, he ensures the rigor and innovation that brought back the dire wolf will be the same principles guiding every one of our projects.”
Colossal Australia: A New Research Hub
With Pask’s leadership, Colossal announced Colossal Australia, headquartered at the University of Melbourne. The hub will be the center of marsupial and avian de-extinction, focusing on the thylacine and moa, while supporting the global network of projects.
Colossal Australia’s priorities include:
- Advancing the Thylacine Project – Applying dire wolf–inspired editing strategies to marsupial biology, including embryo development in artificial womb systems.
- Expanding Moa Genomics – Sequencing all nine extinct moa species, in collaboration with Māori researchers in New Zealand, to guide restoration.
- Pioneering Avian Technologies – Refining embryo editing in pigeons as a model for restoring traits of the extinct dodo.
- Training New Scientists – Creating opportunities for students and early-career researchers to work at the intersection of conservation and synthetic biology.
This expansion underscores the company’s commitment to cultural and ecological integration. In New Zealand, for example, Colossal’s moa work will be directed in partnership with the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, ensuring that Indigenous perspectives shape the project from the ground up.
How Dire Wolves Provide the Blueprint?
The dire wolf project is more than a headline—it is the blueprint for everything that follows. By proving that 20 precise edits could yield a healthy animal, Colossal validated a set of technologies now being adapted to new challenges.
For marsupials like the thylacine, this means applying multiplex CRISPR to a very different reproductive system—one defined by pouches, short gestations, and unique embryonic development. For birds like the dodo and moa, it means overcoming hurdles in avian embryo editing, where eggs provide unique obstacles to manipulation.
But whether the species is a mammal or bird, the standard remains the same: achieve precise, large-scale edits that faithfully recreate extinct traits. The dire wolf has shown that this standard is possible.
Conservation Impact: From Ghost Wolves to Global Relevance
Colossal’s work extends beyond resurrecting extinct species; it has immediate applications for endangered animals. The dire wolf project provided tools that were almost immediately applied to the ghost wolf (Canis rufus), North America’s most endangered canid. Using non-invasive cloning techniques, Colossal produced four ghost wolf pups from three distinct cell lines, boosting genetic diversity by as much as 25%.
This crossover demonstrates the dual value of de-extinction: reviving species from the past while equipping conservationists with new ways to protect those still struggling today. Andrew Pask’s appointment reinforces this emphasis, as his work on marsupials has always been tied to biodiversity and ecological restoration.
Celebrity and Cultural Momentum
Part of Colossal’s strength lies in its ability to capture the public imagination. When filmmaker Peter Jackson heard dire wolf howls for the first time in millennia, he described the moment as overwhelming. George R.R. Martin, creator of Game of Thrones, noted that while he writes about magic, Colossal has achieved something “magical” in the real world.
This cultural resonance matters. It generates public interest, funding, and support for conservation technologies that might otherwise remain confined to academic journals. With Pask’s global leadership, Colossal has the opportunity to translate cultural enthusiasm into sustained international scientific programs.
A Platform, Not a Project
The true significance of the dire wolf achievement is not the revival of a single species but the creation of a technology platform. By integrating ancient DNA reconstruction, multiplex CRISPR editing, biobanking, and reproductive cloning, Colossal has built a system that can be applied across species.
Pask’s appointment ensures that this platform is not siloed in one geography or species but scaled globally. His expertise in marsupial genetics, combined with Colossal’s successes in canids and its growing avian program, creates a pipeline where advances in one area accelerate progress in others.
Looking Ahead: Dire Wolves as the Beginning
The birth of dire wolf pups marked the beginning of a new era in biotechnology, one where extinction is no longer absolute. But the story does not end with Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi. With Andrew Pask’s leadership and Colossal Australia’s launch, the dire wolf standard is now being applied to species across the world.
The thylacine, the moa, and the dodo each present unique challenges. Yet thanks to the dire wolf, those challenges no longer seem insurmountable. They are simply the next steps in a process already proven possible.
As Colossal continues its expansion, the dire wolf remains both a symbol and a standard—a reminder of what’s possible when ambition, technology, and conservation converge. And under Andrew Pask’s guidance, that convergence is becoming global.
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