They want to create the first permanent genetic biochest
On February 3, the United Arab Emirates announced the unprecedented initiative, the creation of the first permanent genetic bio-chest, a true modern Noah's Ark built not of wood, but of cutting-edge technology. The project is born from a million-dollar partnership with Colosal Biosciences, an American company known for its work in synthetic biology and genetic conservation.
The place chosen is symbolic by chance, the Museum of the Future in Dubai, the proposal is clear and ambitious, creating a BioVault, a scientific fortress designed to store the genetic codes of more than 10,000 species, starting with the 100 animals most threatened with extinction on the planet, it is a plan B for life on Earth.
Studies indicate that maintaining the current pace, up to half of the known species could disappear by 2050, causing the collapse of entire ecosystems and, along with them, human food, economic and climate security. The BioVault emerges as a genetic safety network capable of preserving essential information even in the face of irreversible losses from nature.
The project goes beyond a simple frozen repository.
A permanent laboratory will be installed within the museum, transforming the space into an active center for scientific research and preservation of life. There scientists will collect, sequence and store DNA on a large scale using robotics, artificial intelligence and advanced cryopreservation to catalog millions of samples with extreme precision.
Unlike traditional biobanks, often fragmented and underfunded, the BioVault was known as a centralized, robust and long-term oriented infrastructure, but the project is not limited to storing genes in a vault, the objective is to generate high-quality reference genomes, fundamental for future conservation strategies, ecosystem restoration, even possible biotechnological interventions. In addition, the data will be integrated into a global network of redundant backups with open access to researchers around the world.
There is also an unprecedented element, the public BioVault will be a living exhibition, visitors will be able to observe scientists sequencing DNA in real time, accompany gold robotic systems in operation and participate as citizen scientists, helping to transform conservation into something tangible, visible and understandable.
