Overview
- Colossal reported in mid‑May 2026 that it transferred the yolk, albumen and embryos from fertilized chicken eggs into a 3D‑printed lattice lined with a porous silicone membrane and hatched 26 healthy chicks.
- The artificial‑egg platform replaces a hard shell with a gas‑permeable silicone membrane that the company says permits oxygen and carbon‑dioxide exchange comparable to natural eggshells and allows real‑time observation and nutrient adjustment.
- Colossal presents the result as a step toward reviving large extinct birds by designing proportionally larger artificial eggs and combining the incubator with planned genome edits and genetic‑bank resources, and it has temporarily slowed high‑volume hatching after producing many chicks.
- Independent scientists and conservation geneticists say the experiment shows an engineered incubation advance not de‑extinction, and they demand peer‑reviewed data, outside replication and solutions for genome‑scale editing, suitable surrogates and ecological reintegration.
- Conservation experts note the platform could help save fragile embryos and work with frozen genetic banks, but it would not by itself address habitat loss or the need for large, genetically diverse populations, so regulators, published results and ecological planning are the next items to watch.