In the book of Genesis, Noah took pairs of all the world’s creatures onto an ark to save them from a great flood. Now Dallas-based Colossal Biosciences aims to create a 21st-century, high-tech repeat of that endeavor as a permanent feature of Dubai’s Museum of the Future.

The Colossal BioVault and World Preservation Lab was announced today by the United Arab Emirates as “a major initiative” to advance global conservation, biodiversity, and scientific research. The collaboration includes a $60 million investment in Colossal by the UAE, according to multiple reports, and will support pioneering work in environmental protection, de-extinction, and knowledge-driven solutions to safeguard life on Earth.

The UAE’s $60 million investment is part of an expansion of Colossal’s recent $200 million Series C funding round, marking a total raise of over $615 million to date.

Ultimately planned as a “nine-figure initiative,” the BioVault and Lab within the museum will 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, Colossal said.

Aiming to house samples of more than 10K species

The Colossal BioVault plans to house millions of samples representing more than 10,000 species—with an initial focus on the 100 most imperiled species “not currently banked elsewhere,” Colossal said.

The tech involved in the project will include automated robotics, AI-powered monitoring, and proprietary cryopreservation and reanimation tools. The goal: Ensuring that samples are “tracked, accessed, and preserved with precision.”

The project aims to generate genomic data and projections that inform long-term biodiversity planning, create reference genomes, and advance conservation research and long-term biodiversity planning worldwide, Colossal added.

Creating ‘a modern-day Noah’s Ark’

By 2050, nearly half of Earth’s species could face extinction—threatening biodiversity, human well-being, and global economic stability, Colossal noted. The BioVault and preservation lab aim to address this crisis by creating “a secure, collaborative, and scalable backup system to preserve life on Earth.”

“We’re 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,” Ben Lamm, co-Founder and CEO of Colossal, said in a statement.

“Today’s biobanking efforts are underfunded, fragmented, and often inaccessible, lacking the collaboration and international support that this crisis demands,” Lamm added. “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.”

Lamm said the project in Dubai will work to find “bold new solutions to safeguard biodiversity for generations to come.”

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.

Expanding into a critical region

Lauding the UAE’s “deep commitment to innovation, conservation, and technological advancement,” Lamm said the partnership gives his company the opportunity to expand into a critical region “and advance our mission on a global scale.”

Museum of the Future’s executive director, Majed Al Mansoori, said he believes the future belongs to “those who harness technology and innovation to address our greatest challenges.”

“By working with Colossal Biosciences, leaders in synthetic biology and conservation, we’re taking a bold step to advance science that safeguards our planet, restores ecosystems, and builds a sustainable legacy for future generations,” Al Mansoori added in a statement.

In its first year, the project will prioritize fieldwork and DNA research across species, laying the scientific groundwork for future biodiversity protection and conservation, Al Mansoori noted, reinforcing the museum’s role in “advancing scientific progress and shaping the future of life on Earth.”

Planning a ‘global network’ of Colossal BioVaults

Per Colossal, the BioVault in Dubai will eventually be part of “a global network of Colossal BioVaults” across multiple countries, safeguarding endangered and keystone species worldwide.

The BioVault in Dubai will pursue genetic diversity mapping, by collecting multiple samples from species to capture population-wide variation. 

Other initiatives include advance genomic research—building high-quality reference genomes for understudied species—and the eventual rollout of a “redundant backup system,” with secure storage in backup sites around the world. 

To advance the mission, the Colossal BioVault will invite visitors to take part in the mission, becoming co-custodians of biodiversity, citizen scientists, and advocates for its future.

A live-action part of the Museum of the Future

Launched in 2022, Dubai’s Museum of the Future is a global center for innovation and technology, aiming to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.

The addition of the Colossal BioVault and World Preservation Lab will allow visitors to engage directly with the living process of preservation, Colossal said. 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, the BioVault “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.” Colossal said.