Texas company advances dodo de-extinction with pigeon germ cell breakthrough

Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based biotechnology company, announced a major advance in de-extinction research aimed at reviving the dodo nearly 300 years after its disappearance. Researchers successfully cultured pigeon primordial germ cells, the precursors to sperm and eggs, in long-term culture.

Colossal's Avian Genetic Group called this a pivotal step toward reviving the flightless bird, which last roamed Mauritius in 1662. "Our avian team's breakthrough in deriving culture conditions that allow pigeon primordial germ cells to survive long-term is a significant advancement for dodo de-extinction," Colossal CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm said in a press release. "This progress highlights how Colossal's investment in de-extinction technology is driving discovery and developing tools for both our de-extinction and conservation efforts," Lamm said. "The first cell culture recipe was for chicken PGCs, and was published nearly 20 years ago," said Anna Keyte, Avian Species Director, in the release. "Unfortunately, that recipe has not worked on any other bird species tested, even closely related species like quail. Colossal's discovery of a recipe for pigeons dramatically expands avian reproductive technologies and is the foundation for our dodo work."

The company has described this as a stepping-stone toward the revival effort that Colossal has publicly pursued for several species. The last confirmed sighting of the dodo occurred in 1662 on Mauritius, and the bird has since become emblematic of human-caused extinction. Colossal has said it is seeking roughly $120 million more in funding to advance the dodo and other long-gone species, including the woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, dire wolf and the South Island giant moa. The company has highlighted high-profile investors and collaborations, including a 2024 partnership with film director Peter Jackson to support Moa revival efforts.

Separately, a Daily Mail report published Sept. 17, 2025, described steps scientists say move them closer to resurrecting the dodo by editing the genes of chickens so they can lay eggs carrying reconstructed dodo DNA. The plan involves deriving PGCs from Nicobar pigeons—the dodo's closest genetic relative—then editing those cells with dodo DNA and transferring them to chickens to produce eggs containing dodo genetic material. Ben Lamm described the development as "a significant advancement for dodo de-extinction."

The Daily Mail piece frames the work as a step forward in avian de-extinction, though experts warn that substantial hurdles remain before any living dodo could result from such experiments.

Experts cautioned that de-extinction remains controversial and scientifically complex, with many hurdles including genome compatibility, ethics and ecological consequences. Still, Colossal has signaled long-term ambition, telling investors it could pursue ambitious timelines for multiple species and has suggested that mammoth-related efforts could move forward toward the late 2020s if progress continues.