Texas Company Hatches Chicks From Artificial Eggs in First Test

A Texas company has successfully hatched live chicks from artificial eggs for the first time, researchers said. Colossal Biosciences created a reusable titanium egg lined with a bioengineered membrane that mimics the oxygen transfer of a natural shell. Scientists used the devices to hatch 26 healthy chickens while monitoring development from embryo to birth.

The artificial egg is compatible with standard incubators and could potentially support eggs as large as those laid by moa birds, according to The New York Post. Before scaling the technology further, the company plans to conduct additional testing using emu and ostrich eggs.

"We didn’t just copy nature," a company executive told The New York Post. " The chicks will remain at the company’s avian facility for the rest of their lives, the executive said.

Researchers say the technology could improve hatch rates for endangered birds and support the company’s broader efforts to bring back extinct species, including the dodo and the moa. The moa — a massive flightless bird that once roamed New Zealand — could weigh up to 500 pounds before it was hunted to extinction centuries ago.

The company is pursuing its moa revival project in partnership with New Zealand’s Ngāi Tahu Research Centre and filmmaker Peter Jackson, who is also an investor in the company. A company executive told The New York Post that the company believes the moa could return by the early 2030s, while the dodo could be revived within four or five years.

"The avian reproductive toolkit has lagged behind mammalian systems for decades because birds present unique developmental challenges," a company science officer told the outlet. " The company is also trying to bring extinct species back to life, NPR reported.