AI + Synthetic Biology: The Most Transformative Technology in Human History | Ben Lamm (Colossal)
In a Nutshell
Colossal, led by Ben Lamm, leverages AI-driven synthetic biology to de-extinct species like woolly mammoths, Tasmanian tigers, dodos, and direwolves, while building an end-to-end platform for computational biology, gene editing, cloning, and artificial wombs to solve biodiversity crises and produce scalable biological solutions. Spinouts like Breaking target microplastics degradation and gene drives combat invasive species costing trillions, subsidizing a $10 trillion extinction preservation market and enabling applications in IVF, disease-resistant crops/animals, and human healthcare. This fusion of AI and synbio is poised to be humanity's most transformative technology, achieving breakthroughs like 90% multi-edit efficiency and massive DNA synthesis scaleouts.
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Idea of bringing back the woolly mammoth had been around for a long time. Ben Lamm initially planned to fund it as a side project but found it too interesting and became CEO. Colossal is a parent company spinning out a dozen companies with massive potential. First biological products company spun out was Breaking, focused on plastic degradation. Same system that can bring back a mammoth can make microbes that break chemical bonds of plastic.
AI is essential: without AI, none of their work would be possible. Every company should be or is an AI company. Colossal designs using AI and builds living products.
Our vision is now. That's a moonshot, ladies and gentlemen.
Elon Musk loves woolly mammoth and wants Jurassic Park. Number one request they get, followed by megalodons.
Ben Lamm met George Church, synthetic biologist, CRISPR gene editor, entrepreneur, Harvard Medical School professor. Asked Church: if he could work on one project forever with unlimited capital, what would it be? Church instantly said bringing back mammoths, building technologies for saving species and human healthcare.
Colossal went from zero to $10 billion valuation in 4 years, massively undervalued. Team: 260 scientists (200 in US, 60 in Australia), significant number of AI programmers. Synthetic biology is interesting, but they don't always lead with AI.
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