Colossal Biosciences Develops Artificial Egg for Chicken Hatching

Colossal Biosciences announced Tuesday that it has hatched more than 30 healthy chickens using a 3D-printed artificial egg developed over the past two years. The Dallas-headquartered company created the device to advance its goal of reviving the South Island Giant Moa, whose eggs are roughly 80 times larger than chicken eggs.

The artificial egg consists of a rigid 3D-printed shell with a honeycomb structure and a silicone-based permeable membrane that allows oxygen to diffuse at ambient temperatures. Embryos from freshly laid chicken eggs were placed inside the device, monitored for about 21 days, and occasionally given nutrients before hatching.

Colossal chief biology officer Andrew Pask said the system is fully scalable and biologically accurate. He added that the artificial egg provides a controlled platform independent of a surrogate host. Colossal chief science officer Beth Shapiro described how the membrane replicates the interior of a real egg.

Scientists tested the device on chicken embryos and documented development through a time-lapse video posted on YouTube.

The company plans to use larger versions of the artificial egg to grow genetically engineered embryos for the dodo and the South Island Giant Moa. Colossal CEO Ben Lamm said the technology is needed because no living bird could serve as a surrogate for a moa embryo.

Colossal head of animal husbandry Steve Metzler said the hatched chickens are cared for at the company's avian facility in Texas. He stated that the company is responsible for the physical and mental health of the animals.

Colossal chief animal officer Matt James said the artificial egg could help rescue compromised embryos and support genetic rescue platforms for endangered species. He noted that the device is designed to work with standard commercial incubators. Prof.

Tomas Marques Bonet, an evolutionary and conservation biologist at Pompeu Fabra University, said the advance has strong implications for endangered species rescue and genome engineering. He described it as a significant engineering and biological step.

Some scientists have raised questions about the ethics of reviving extinct species. Other researchers have expressed support for the conservation potential of the technology.