Like any “Game of Thrones” fan, I’ve long fantasized about having my own fierce and loyal dire wolf. So I could hardly contain my excitement when I chatted with one of the few humans who’s gotten to hang out with a resurrected version of the long-extinct canine. 

“The dire wolves are awesome,” Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, gleefully reported. 

Colossal wow’d the world last year when it unveiled modified gray wolf pups born with 20 dire wolf traits. But while Colossal’s de-extinction projects get the most media buzz, its behind-the-scenes R&D is what’s generating the platforms and technologies the company aims to monetize, Lamm said. Today, we’re looking at the scientific advances happening inside Colossal’s labs that could impact pharma and healthcare. 

As for those dire wolves, who recently celebrated their first birthday, Lamm had good news. Although the wolves currently live in a secret location — no doubt to shield them from gawking GOT fans — Colossal is thinking through ways they could one day be seen by the public. 

“We’re trying to figure out how we can show them to the world so kids and fans can be excited and engaged — but not create a zoo,” Lamm said. “We don’t have it solved yet but there’s definitely interest, and part of our mission is to get people inspired about science and animals again.” 

Thanks for reading.