Sequoia Backs $200M Warhound Push for Gene-Edited Military Canines

Warhound, a startup founded by Palmer Luckey, has raised $200 million to develop genetically enhanced dogs for military service.

The funding round included investment from Sequoia. Colossal Biosciences is assisting the effort by handling the cloning and gene-editing processes. Warhound stated that the canines will be trained to detect explosives and protect troops.

This initiative sits within a wider wave of biological advancements announced this week. Moderna and Merck reported that their mRNA cancer vaccine reduced deaths by 42 percent in clinical trials. The vaccine also lowered the risk of recurrence for patients with melanoma. Separately, researchers confirmed that a new gene-editing tool known as prime editing has reached its first human patient. The technique rewrites DNA in liver cells.

In the cybersecurity sector, experts noted that recent flaws in PHP have not yet led to successful attacks. Analysts described the vulnerabilities as harder to exploit than initially feared. Officials had previously urged website operators to apply patches after the flaws took sites offline globally. Software developer Ian Landsman praised volunteer Ondřej Surý for his work on the PHP fixes. Landsman wrote on X that Surý is an unsung hero of the internet, adding that everyone is screwed if anything happens to him.

In energy markets, Google will pay customers to free up power for its data centers through a virtual power plant. The program rewards individuals for adjusting their energy use. A separate report indicated that the company illegally felled 250,000 trees in Finland for a data center project. Climate scientists also suggested that fossil fuels may have averted the next ice age, with modern warming reversing 2,000 years of ice growth.

Political observers noted a dispute over Starlink service in Ukraine. Donald Trump said Elon Musk had restored Ukraine's access to the satellite internet service. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky countered that Starlink speeds remained capped. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had asked Musk to lift the speed limits.

MIT Technology Review has published its Impossible issue, which assesses progress on six technologies long described as imminent. The topics include decoding pets' vocalizations, removing forever chemicals from the environment, and faster travel to Mars. The publication asked experts what is holding each technology back and how far each has advanced.