Colossal Biosciences Wins Gizmodo Science Fair for Genomic Pipeline

Colossal Biosciences won the 2026 Gizmodo Science Fair for an integrated pipeline for genomic reconstruction, gene editing and synthetic embryo maturation. The work produced three "dire wolf" pups — Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi — with 20 CRISPR edits, plus four cloned red wolves to aid biodiversity recovery.

• 20 CRISPR edits across 14 genes produced white coats, large size and stronger jaws
• The older pups reached 54 kg and 1.2 m, with a potential maximum of 68 kg and 1.8 m
• Four red wolves were cloned; only about 16 remain in the wild
• Red wolf work used "ghost" DNA from historic populations that interbred with coyotes