No matter where you turn at Colossal Biosciences’ Dallas headquarters, scientists are at work on projects that, until recently, lived mostly in theory. For years, the startup led by Ben Lamm kept its location private. But recently, D CEO—under two conditions: no photos, no video—was granted access inside.
In one corner of the 55,000-square-foot lab, a team advances the company’s Woolly Mammoth research through gene-edited mice. Nearby, researchers replace segments of cellular DNA and inject newly engineered sequences. Another group focuses on the preservation and cataloging of genetic material.
The facility serves as the operational hub for Colossal’s de-extinction and conservation efforts—an ambitious portfolio that, in 2025, helped make it the first Texas-based startup to reach a $10 billion valuation. Over the past year, the company raised $120 million for its dodo bird restoration initiative, doubled nonprofit commitments to $50 million, acquired cloning and biobanking firm Viagen, and announced a conservation partnership with the United Arab Emirates…