# Colossal Biosciences Sues Former VP for Allegedly Taking De-Extinction Research to Competitors **Source:** https://glitchwire.com/news/colossal-biosciences-sues-former-vp-for-allegedly-taking-de-extinction-research/ **Published:** 2026-11-07T20:15:51.421Z **Author:** Science Desk ยท Glitchwire **Categories:** Science, Tech ## Summary The Dallas biotech company accuses James Kehler of copying confidential files before leaving for Neion Bio, a startup that uses gene-edited chickens to make biologics. ## Article [Colossal Biosciences](https://colossal.com/), the Dallas company trying to resurrect the woolly mammoth, filed a trade secrets lawsuit Friday in federal court in Austin against a former vice president it accuses of walking out with proprietary research and handing it to competitors. The complaint targets James Kehler, who served as Colossal's VP of Animal Sciences and later of BioSynergy before resigning on April 14, 2026. According to the filing, Kehler joined Neion Bio as Head of Avian Sciences shortly after leaving, a role that drew on the very research Colossal says he took. ## Files moved before departure Colossal alleges that forensic analysis of Kehler's company laptop turned up evidence he transferred files containing confidential information to a personal cloud account and multiple personal devices before he left. The company claims those materials covered ongoing work on extinct avian species including the dodo and the moa, a large flightless bird native to New Zealand. Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel is leading Colossal's legal team. In the complaint, the company described Kehler's actions as reflecting "dishonesty, greed, and the betrayal of the confidential science at the heart of Colossal's mission." ## The Neion Bio connection Neion Bio, a New York startup that engineers chickens to produce biologic drugs in their eggs, raised an oversubscribed $23 million Series A in June 2026. A press release from that round listed Kehler as Head of Avian Sciences alongside co-founders Dimi Kellari and Sam Levin. The company's Raptor platform uses precision genome engineering on avian primordial germ cells, a technique that overlaps with the kind of work Colossal performs on birds like the dodo. Neither Neion Bio nor Kehler has publicly responded to the lawsuit. Neion emerged from stealth in March 2026 with a commercial agreement already signed with an unnamed pharmaceutical company. ## A second alleged link: Felix Pets The lawsuit also ties Kehler to Felix Pets, a Colorado startup developing gene-edited hypoallergenic cats. Colossal claims the work there "depends on the same research and know-how underlying Colossal's de-extinction work." Public patent records show Kehler listed as an inventor on a Felix Pets patent covering methods for producing hypoallergenic cats using gene editing technology, alongside Felix Pets founder David Avner and scientist Sven Bocklandt. Colossal argues in its filing that unauthorized disclosure of its trade secrets could allow rivals to replicate years of internal development in a matter of days or weeks, causing "severe and irreparable harm." ## A well-funded plaintiff The company pursuing the lawsuit is not short on resources. Colossal has raised upward of $615 million since its founding in 2021 by geneticist George Church and entrepreneur Ben Lamm. Its last confirmed valuation was $10.2 billion, and it was reportedly in talks earlier this year to raise a new round at between $20 billion and $30 billion. Colossal says it has succeeded in producing "woolly mice" carrying mammoth traits and gray wolves resembling the extinct dire wolf. Its broader portfolio includes de-extinction projects targeting the Tasmanian tiger, the dodo, and the moa. The company acquired [ViaGen Pets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ViaGen_Pets), an Austin-area animal cloning service, in November 2025. The case could set a precedent for how the emerging field of de-extinction protects its intellectual property. Gene editing techniques that power species revival share fundamental overlap with those used in biomanufacturing and consumer biotech, blurring the lines of what qualifies as proprietary. The same [foundational biology](/news/claude-writes-180-million-lines-of-proof-code-to-verify-123-open-source-librarie/) that might bring back a mammoth can also engineer a drug-producing hen or an allergen-free cat. Colossal is seeking unspecified damages. A trial date has not been set. --- **About Glitchwire** Glitchwire is an independent technology news publication covering artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, science, security, policy, finance, and the broader technology industry. 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