UAE Partners with Colossal Biosciences to Protect Biodiversity and Champion the Future of Life on Earth

The collaboration positions the UAE as a global leader in conservation, driving pioneering initiatives in science, biodiversity, and the safeguarding of life on Earth

DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The UAE today announced a major initiative with Colossal Biosciences to advance global conservation, biodiversity, and scientific research. The collaboration will support pioneering work in environmental protection, de-extinction, and knowledge-driven solutions to safeguard life on Earth.

This collaboration represents a major step forward in advancing global conservation and biotechnology, supporting biodiversity and species preservation worldwide. It underscores both the UAE's and Colossal's commitment to advancing science, sustainability, and ecological resilience across the Middle East, Africa and beyond. This will further position the nation as a regional and global leader in conservation and knowledge-driven solutions.

As part of this initiative, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, has directed that a laboratory and Colossal BioVault be established as a permanent feature at Dubai's Museum of the Future in partnership with Colossal. The museum is a center for innovation and knowledge in Dubai, it will further serve as a hub for scientific research and the preservation of life, providing scientists, researchers, and innovators with a platform to explore cutting-edge technologies and ideas that address global challenges in biodiversity and conservation.

"I believe the future belongs to those who harness technology and innovation to address our greatest challenges," said Museum of the Future, Executive Director, Majed Al Mansoori "By working with Colossal Biosciences, leaders in synthetic biology and conservation, we are taking a bold step to advance science that safeguards our planet, restores ecosystems, and builds a sustainable legacy for future generations. In its first year, the initiative will prioritize fieldwork and DNA research across species, laying the scientific groundwork for future biodiversity protection and conservation. This reflects the Museum of the Future's long-standing commitment to environmental protection and reinforces our role in advancing scientific progress and shaping the future of life on Earth," he added.

The Colossal BioVault and World Preservation Lab is a nine-figure initiative in the UAE. In addition, the UAE led an initial contribution to Colossal as part of an expansion of the company's most recent funding round. Additional funding rounds may take place in the future and will be disclosed at the appropriate times.

The announcement comes as the Museum of the Future participates in the World Governments Summit in Dubai, showcasing a shared vision for transformative technologies, including a preview of the temporary World Preservation Lab and Colossal BioVault exhibition currently under development, with Colossal engaging with global leaders at the event.

By 2050, nearly half of Earth's species could face extinction, threatening biodiversity, human well-being, and global economic stability. This project addresses this crisis by creating a secure, collaborative, and scalable backup system to preserve life on Earth.

"The UAE's deep commitment to innovation, conservation and technological advancement is truly inspiring," said Ben Lamm, Co-Founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences. "Through this visionary partnership, Colossal has the opportunity to expand into a critical region and advance our mission on a global scale. We are losing species at an alarming rate, and the world urgently needs a distributed network of global BioVaults—a true backup plan for life on Earth. Today's biobanking efforts are underfunded, fragmented, and often inaccessible, lacking the collaboration and international support that this crisis demands. Thanks to the visionary leadership of the UAE, Colossal is now creating the world's first Colossal BioVault: an unprecedented global resource, a modern-day Noah's Ark for protecting and restoring life on our planet. We are excited to build on this relationship and pioneering bold new solutions to safeguard biodiversity for generations to come."

The Colossal BioVault is a first-of-its-kind, research-driven facility preserving genetic material from thousands of species. It will house millions of samples representing more than 10,000 species, with initial focus on the 100 most imperiled species not currently banked elsewhere. The technology brings automated robotics, AI-powered monitoring, and proprietary cryopreservation and reanimation tools together to ensure samples are tracked, accessed, and preserved with precision. The Colossal BioVault will generate genomic data and projections that inform long term biodiversity planning, create reference genomes, and advance conservation research and long-term biodiversity planning worldwide. 

Using Colossal's innovative technology the Colossal BioVault will provide: 

• House the Cradle of Life: Protect over 10,000 species and hold more than a million samples, focusing initially on the world's 100 most imperiled species
• Genetic Diversity Mapping: Collect multiple samples from species to capture population-wide variation
• Open Data Initiative: Share data openly by making all non-proprietary information available to scientists worldwide
• Global BioVault Network: Build a global network of Colossal BioVaults across multiple countries safeguarding endangered and keystone species starting in Dubai and the UAE
• Advance Genomic Research: Build high-quality reference genomes for understudied species
• Redundant Backup System: Establish secure storage with redundant backup sites around the world
• Advance the Mission: Invite visitors to take part in the mission, becoming co-custodians of biodiversity, citizen scientists and advocates for its future

Dubai's Museum of the Future, a global center for innovation and technology, looks to tackle the world's most pressing challenges. This experience will allow visitors to engage directly with the living process of preservation. Visitors will witness scientists working in real time, receiving tissue samples from the field, sequencing DNA and cryopreserving cell lines to help build a bank of the world's most threatened species. As a fully operational research environment, it will activate citizen scientists through immersive experiences, offering accessible scientific learning and direct interaction with live laboratories and robotic systems that connect visitors to real, ongoing research.

ABOUT COLOSSAL BIOSCIENCES

Colossal was founded by emerging technology and software entrepreneur Ben Lamm and world-renowned geneticist and serial biotech entrepreneur George Church, Ph.D., and is the first to apply CRISPR technology for the purposes of species de-extinction. Colossal creates innovative technologies for species restoration, critically endangered species protection and the repopulation of critical ecosystems that support the continuation of life on Earth. Colossal is accepting humanity's duty to restore Earth to a healthier state, while also solving for the future economies and biological necessities of the human condition through cutting-edge science and technologies. To follow along, please visit: www.colossal.com. 

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE

The Museum of the Future is the first museum of its kind. Built to transform the very perception of the future as we know it, the unique structure has become home to several immersive future environments that aim to position visitors in an empowering version of the future.

Through distinctive themes, it elicits a world we thought we could only experience years from now. Visitors become active participants in an expansive experience that taps into all five senses. The museum inspires humanity to re-imagine the future and all its possibilities. One of the most complex and ambitious projects ever executed, with an instantly iconic inimitable exterior. Rising 77-metres above the ground and comprising 1,024 unique stainless steel composite panels, the façade is adorned in Arabic calligraphy, displaying three quotes written by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai.

WEBSITE & SOCIALS

Websites: www.colossal.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colossal/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@colossal
Twitter: https://x.com/colossal
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/colossal/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itiscolossal
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@colossal
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/itiscolossal.bsky.social

SOURCE Colossal Biosciences