US and Colossal Biosciences Launch BioVault for 2,300 Endangered Species
The United States has announced a landmark partnership to build a “BioVault” — a genomic and biobanking archive designed to preserve genetic material from every species protected under the Endangered Species Act. The initiative, announced on June 25 by the U.S. Department of the Interior, pairs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) with Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotech company valued at more than $10 billion.
Dubbed a “modern-day Noah’s Ark built from DNA,” the project aims to collect, sequence, and cryopreserve living cells, reproductive tissues, and genomic material from more than 2,300 threatened and endangered plant and animal species. The effort draws comparisons to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which preserves the genetic diversity of the world’s food supply.
A Public-Private Conservation Partnership
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the FWS and Colossal, the federal government will own the biological samples while Colossal performs genetic sequencing. Critically, the MoU does not obligate the expenditure of federal funds — Colossal is fronting the costs, estimated in the tens of millions of dollars. All genomic data generated will be deposited into open-access repositories and provided at no cost to researchers and conservation organizations worldwide.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum hailed the collaboration as a model of innovation-driven conservation. “America leads the world when we embrace innovation and put our best minds to work solving big challenges,” Burgum said in a statement. “This partnership brings together the scientific expertise of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the ingenuity of the private sector to develop new tools that can help recover species, preserve critical genetic resources, and strengthen the future of wildlife conservation.”
The Vision: A Genetic Backup for Life on Earth
Ben Lamm, CEO and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences, framed the initiative as an insurance policy against extinction. “Just as the Svalbard Global Seed Vault was created to preserve the genetic diversity of our food supply, this partnership aims to preserve the genetic diversity of life itself,” Lamm said, as reported by WIRED. “Every species is a library of evolutionary innovation millions of years in the making. Once lost, that knowledge disappears forever.”
Matt James, Chief Animal Officer at Colossal and Executive Director of the Colossal Foundation, described the project as “the conservation equivalent of building the national parks system for the genomic age,” according to a PRNewswire release.
Field collection of samples is already underway using specialized collection kits, Lamm confirmed. Primary samples will be stored at Colossal’s lab in Dallas, Texas, with duplicate samples distributed across the country.
A Broader BioVault Network
This U.S. initiative is part of Colossal’s larger global BioVault project. In February 2026, the company announced a partnership with the United Arab Emirates to bank genetic material from 10,000 species worldwide, to be housed in Dubai’s Museum of the Future — a project backed by a $60 million investment from the UAE government.
Colossal, founded by Lamm and renowned geneticist George Church, has drawn international attention for its de-extinction work. The company has produced gene-edited gray wolf pups billed as revived dire wolves, engineered “woolly mice” with mammoth-like fur, and hatched chicks from a fully artificial egg system. It has stated ambitions to produce woolly mammoth calves by 2028.
A Controversial Timing
The announcement arrives amid significant political controversy. The Trump administration has simultaneously proposed major regulatory changes to the Endangered Species Act that would factor economic and national security considerations into habitat protection decisions. The administration also convened the “God Squad” — the Endangered Species Committee — to grant exemptions for oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, a decision environmental groups have challenged in court.
Noah Greenwald, Endangered Species Director at the Center for Biological Diversity, offered a sharply critical perspective. “This isn’t biodiversity preservation. This is like a last-ditch effort,” Greenwald told WIRED. “We’ll only need this genetic material if the administration fails at recovering endangered species.”
What’s Next
The partnership’s long-term goal is full biobanking and sequencing coverage of all 2,300-plus ESA-listed species. The FWS and Colossal are actively deploying field collection capabilities, integrating whole-genome sequence data into federal recovery plans, and building a free genomic data platform for researchers worldwide.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik emphasized the scientific imperative. “As biodiversity faces increasing pressures worldwide, we must continue to evaluate and apply the best available science to conserve America’s natural heritage,” Nesvik said. “Our work with Colossal Biosciences will help advance our understanding of how biobanking and genomics can complement existing conservation tools.”
While supporters see the BioVault as a visionary, technology-driven approach to conservation, critics warn that genetic preservation is no substitute for protecting the habitats species need to survive. The question of whether conservation efforts can keep pace with technological preservation — and whether the political will exists for both — remains open.