TechnicalDiscussion

Playing God or Saving Nature? Gene Editing, Artificial Wombs & the Return of Extinct Species | Ben Lamm PT 1

Tom Bilyeu's Impact TheoryMay 13, 202553m 54s

Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, discusses breakthrough gene-editing technologies including CRISPR, DNA synthesis, and multiplex editing that enable de-extinction of animals like woolly mammoths and dire wolves. He explains the technical mechanisms of genetic engineering, the development of artificial wombs, and the ethical implications of gene selection in human embryos, positioning these technologies as tools for conservation and healthcare rather than playing God.

Summary

Ben Lamm explains how Colossal Biosciences uses advanced gene-editing tools to resurrect extinct species. The key technological advancement is multiplex editing—the ability to make multiple genetic edits simultaneously across different genomic locations, rather than sequentially. This represents a fundamental breakthrough from previous methods where researchers had to breed edited organisms through multiple generations. Lamm describes how they use CRISPR guides (delivered via viruses) combined with DNA synthesis to either knock out genes, insert new genetic material, or swap entire blocks of DNA sequences. The woolly mouse case study demonstrates this: eight specific nucleotide edits across seven genes produced observable phenotypic changes in hair type, coat color, hair density, and fat metabolism—traits that previously would have required sequential breeding across eight generations.

The company has created three dire wolves (Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi) using genetic material from a 73,000-year-old skull and 12,000-year-old tooth. However, Lamm emphasizes this isn't just about editing DNA—the complete system requires solving multiple interconnected problems. This includes genotype-to-phenotype mapping (understanding which genetic changes produce which physical traits), developing the correct chemical environments ("soups") to grow tissues like hair organoids, and screening all cells before embryo implantation to prevent off-target effects where CRISPR cuts at unintended genomic locations.

Colossal is pioneering three particularly complex technical challenges. First, they're synthesizing large blocks of DNA larger than ever attempted before, then fragmenting them strategically and stitching them together inside cells—a purely chemical process despite the metaphor of viral delivery. Second, they're developing a "universal egg" that could theoretically work across mammalian species by solving mitochondrial compatibility issues and standardizing the internal environment, eliminating the need to harvest eggs from endangered species for each reproductive cycle. Third, they're building a complete artificial womb system using hydrogels, bioprinting, and synthetic placental walls to support embryonic development entirely outside a biological uterus. Lamm predicts the first mammal (likely a mouse or fat-tailed dunnart) will be born fully ex utero by end of 2026.

Regarding human applications, Lamm drew a clear ethical line: Colossal will not work on humans or non-human primates, though they will license technologies for others to apply to human healthcare. He personally went through IVF and used Orchid Health's full-genome sequencing to screen embryos, selecting against his own Titan gene mutation and examining polygenic risk scores for conditions like Alzheimer's and diabetes. He emphasized this as making informed personal choices rather than eugenics, since selection based on disease risk differs from selection for traits like appearance. However, he acknowledged the incoming inevitability of more sophisticated selection as technology improves, noting that China's BGI is openly working on identifying genes associated with intelligence.

Lamm framed de-extinction and genetic engineering as moral imperatives rather than "playing God." He argues humanity has already been playing God through habitat destruction, climate change, and selective breeding for millennia—gene editing is simply doing it more precisely and predictably. He emphasized that these technologies' greatest impact may be conservation, where artificial wombs could enable scaling production of endangered species like Northern White Rhinos by eliminating the need to implant edited embryos in surrogate females, instead using engineered genetic diversity to create founder lines that overcome genetic bottlenecks without requiring cloning.

About this episode

In this thrilling installment of Impact Theory, Tom Bilyeu sits down with Ben Lamm, visionary founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, a company on a mission to reverse extinction and rewrite the future of conservation and synthetic biology. Ben and Tom dive deep into the mind-bending world of de-extinction, synthetic gene editing, and how the CRISPR revolution is not only unlocking the secrets of life—but also actively engineering it. In Part 1, get ready for a rollercoaster of concepts as Ben explains the technical magic behind gene editing, DNA synthesis, and multiplex genome editing. From the birth of the woolly mouse to the debated revival of dire wolves, Ben reveals the breakthroughs, challenges, and wild stories behind reviving extinct species. You’ll learn how Colossal is using advanced computational biology, AI, and hands-on bioengineering to not only bring animals back but also reshape the future of healthcare, genetics, and ethical decision-making. This is part sci-fi, part practical science, and 100% mind-blowing. SHOWNOTES 00:00 – Kicking Off: The Mysteries of Editing Life 00:14 – Emergence of the CRISPR Revolution 01:31 – What Is DNA Synthesis and Multiplex Editing? 03:47 – The Woolly Mouse: Engineering Traits Across Species 07:54 – Breaking Down the Process: IVF, Screening, and Sequencing 09:24 – Mapping Genotype to Phenotype and Its Challenges 12:10 – Targeting Gene Edits: From Theory to Application in Health and Conservation 17:09 – From Hair Organoids to Building Mammoth Traits in Mice 24:41 – The Quest for a Universal Egg and Overcoming Cellular Barriers 26:17 – Artificial Wombs: The Next Frontier in Conservation and Science 31:12 – Scaling Conservation and Bridging to Human Healthcare FOLLOW BEN LAMM Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/federallamm" target="_blank">@federallamm</a> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benlamm/" target="_blank">Ben Lamm</a> CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS ButcherBox: Ready to level up your meals? Go to <a href="https://butcherbox.com/impact" target="_blank">⁠https://ButcherBox.com/impact⁠</a> to get $20 off your first box and FREE bacon for life with the Bilyeu Box! Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to <a href="https://www.vitalproteins.com" target="_blank">⁠https://www.vitalproteins.com⁠</a> and entering promo code IMPACT at check out Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at <a href="https://shopify.com/impact" target="_blank">⁠https://shopify.com/impact⁠</a> Netsuite: Download the CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning at <a href="https://netsuite.com/THEORY" target="_blank">⁠https://NetSuite.com/THEORY⁠</a> iTrust Capital: Use code IMPACTGO when you sign up and fund your account to get a $100 bonus at <a href="https://www.itrustcapital.com/tombilyeu" target="_blank">⁠https://www.itrustcapital.com/tombilyeu⁠</a> Mint Mobile: If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at <a href="https://mintmobile.com/impact" target="_blank">⁠https://mintmobile.com/impact.⁠</a> DISCLAIMER: Upfront payment of $45 for 3-month 5 gigabyte plan required (equivalent to $15/mo.). New customer offer for first 3 months only, then full-price plan options available. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... <ul> <li> STARTING a business:<a href="https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20show" target="_blank"> join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER</a> </li> <li> SCALING a business:<a href="https://tombilyeu.com/call" target="_blank"> see if you qualify here.</a> </li> </ul> Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox:<a href="https://tombilyeu.com/" target="_blank"> sign up here.</a> ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/47VE90Cittmo6TGGFqg2xf" target="_blank"> Tom Bilyeu’s Mindset Playbook</a> —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** LISTEN TO IMPACT THEORY AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS:<a href="http://apple.co/impacttheory" target="_blank"> apple.co/impacttheory</a> ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/" target="_blank"> https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/</a> Tik Tok:<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en" target="_blank"> https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en</a> Twitter:<a href="https://twitter.com/tombilyeu" target="_blank"> https://twitter.com/tombilyeu</a> YouTube:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu" target="_blank"> https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu</a> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Key Insights

Multiplex editing represents a fundamental breakthrough because it enables making 20+ genetic edits simultaneously across random genomic locations in a single intervention, whereas previous methods required sequential breeding through 8+ generations to accumulate the same edits.
The woolly mouse with only eight edits demonstrates that the technology works, but Lamm emphasizes the real complexity lies in the entire system: genotype-to-phenotype mapping, developing correct chemical growth environments, creating hair organoids to test phenotypes, and screening all cells to prevent off-target effects.
CRISPR guides sometimes cut at unintended genomic locations due to repetitive DNA sequences, so Colossal mitigates this through intensive screening of all cells before implanting embryos—they sequenced all 36 resulting healthy dire wolves' embryos before bringing any to term.
The artificial womb is not a simple plastic container but a complex system using hydrogels, bioprinted internal structures, and chemical signaling to replicate the uterine environment including placental implantation, vascularization, and nutrient exchange—requiring species-specific optimization of chemical factors.
Ben Lamm argues that gene editing in human embryos for disease prevention (like screening against his Titan gene mutation) differs fundamentally from eugenics because it removes known disease risks rather than selecting for traits, though he acknowledges the line becomes blurred with polygenic risk scores.
Lamm predicts within five years gene editing will shift from scientific research to engineering phase, where large-scale data from scanned populations will enable precise genotype-to-phenotype mapping rather than reliance on scattered research papers using inconsistent terminology.
The artificial womb technology could revolutionize conservation by allowing endangered species like Northern White Rhinos to gestate entirely ex utero, eliminating the need to harvest eggs from the remaining individuals or implant edited embryos in surrogate species.
China's BGI is explicitly mapping genes associated with intelligence and conducting this research transparently, while the U.S. maintains a germline editing moratorium, creating a geopolitical dynamic where Lamm argues America's ethical standards may become a competitive disadvantage if it doesn't develop these capabilities.

Topics

CRISPR gene editing and multiplex editing technologyDNA synthesis and large-block genomic engineeringDe-extinction of extinct species (mammoths, dire wolves, thylacines)Artificial womb development and ex utero embryonic developmentEmbryo screening and genetic selection in human IVFGenotype-to-phenotype mapping and computational biologyConservation applications and endangered species restorationEthics of genetic engineering and human germline editing

Transcript

We're entering into an era where life itself is editable. One company has already brought back the genetic code of extinct animals. They've resurrected DNA that hasn't walked the earth in over 10,000 years. Not as science fiction, not as metaphor, as living organisms engineered, grown, and born. Their founder isn't a biologist, he's a tech entrepreneur. And his team is using the same tools, machine learning, CRISPR, synthetic biology, to build something we've never had before. The power to rewrite evolution. Today's guest is Ben Lamb, the CEO of Colossal Biosciences. His company just unveiled the world's first genetically engineered dire wolves. But this conversation isn't really about animals. It's about what happens when the interface to biology becomes…

Full transcript available for MurmurCast members

More from Tom Bilyeu's Impact Theory

Get AI summaries like this delivered to your inbox daily

Playing God or Saving Nature? Gene Editing, Artificial Wombs & the Return of Extinct Species | Ben Lamm PT 1

Summary

About this episode

Key Insights

Topics

Transcript

More from Tom Bilyeu's Impact Theory

America at 250: Socialism, Economic Reality, and the Truth About AI and Power

Billionaire Investor Says US Market Is Headed For A HUGE CRASH! | Tom Bilyeu Reacts

Supreme Court Rulings, Birthright Citizenship, and the Impact of AI on America’s Future

The Fed Just Changed How They Measure Inflation — Right Before The Election. Not A Coincidence

Why Negotiating Through Violence Fails: Middle East, Ukraine, and the Collapse of the Freedom of Seas

Get AI summaries delivered to your inbox