Sven Bocklandt, Ph.D.
Species Director
Colossal Biosciences

Genetic engineering and de-extinction of key animal species are reshaping conservation strategies. By manipulating the genetic makeup of key animal species, scientists aim to enhance their resilience to environmental challenges, bolstering their survival prospects. This approach seeks to mitigate the impacts of habitat loss, climate change, and other threats. De-extinction, the process of reviving extinct species through genetic reconstruction, introduces a novel dimension to conservation efforts. While controversial, it offers the potential to reintegrate lost species into ecosystems, restoring ecological balance. Colossal Biosciences is the world’s first de-extinction company, is developing a toolkit of modern biotechnological methods from iPSCs to multiplex base editing and artificial wombs to harness the full potential of genetic engineering and de- extinction in safeguarding biodiversity and preserving ecosystems for future generations.

Sven Bocklandt is Species Director at Colossal Biosciences, a bioscience company using genetic engineering to restore extinct animal species, protect critically endangered species and repopulate critical ecosystems. A human geneticist by training, he spent 10 years in technical leadership positions in genome analysis companies, developed the epigenetic clock and made the first knock-out cat.