Overview
- Colossal publicly unveiled GenoMorph on Oct. 14, 2026 as an AI system that combines 3D skull and beak shape data, comparative genomes and embryonic development maps to predict regulatory DNA changes when ancient genomes are fragmented.
- The company reports GenoMorph produced a prioritized list of roughly 2,300–2,350 candidate regulatory targets tied to the dodo’s craniofacial features, which Colossal says will be tested experimentally rather than assumed to be safe or definitive.
- Colossal described a lab workflow that edits primordial germ cells (PGCs) from the Nicobar pigeon, uses lipid‑nanoparticle delivery to introduce edits into developing bird embryos, and relies on surrogate eggs to pass edits to the next generation.
- The firm said its Nicobar pigeon colony in Texas now numbers 36 birds and that it has generated PGCs needed for the program, which moves the project from computer prediction into hands‑on functional testing.
- Major hurdles remain including functional validation, animal welfare, biosafety, ecological preparation on Mauritius and regulatory review, so Colossal’s early‑2030s timeline for a living dodo is presented as provisional pending laboratory and policy outcomes.