Overview
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday signed a five‑year memorandum of understanding with Colossal Biosciences to begin systematic sampling, whole‑genome sequencing, and cryopreservation of living cells, reproductive tissues and DNA from every species on the Endangered Species Act list.
- Under the deal Colossal says it will invest tens of millions of dollars, perform sequencing and primary storage at its Dallas facility, and distribute duplicate samples to other sites including an international partner in Dubai while the Fish and Wildlife Service will set collection priorities and provide field access.
- The agreement calls for genomic data to be deposited in open‑access repositories at no cost but allows limits for samples from tribal lands and to protect locations from poaching, and it does not obligate federal funding for Colossal’s work.
- Conservation scientists and advocacy groups warn biobanking cannot replace habitat protection and express concern about entrusting long‑term custody and potential commercialization of samples to a private, for‑profit firm that has a short track record and has faced scrutiny over past de‑extinction claims.
- Biobanking has helped real recoveries in the past, such as using preserved ferret cells to aid cloning, but the project faces major logistical and technical hurdles because many species are hard to sample, induced pluripotent stem cell and restoration methods are still developing, and large‑scale collection will take years.