Overview
- Colossal Biosciences, which announced Tuesday that 26 chicks hatched in its lab, used a 3D-printed lattice shell lined with a silicone membrane designed to match a natural eggshell’s oxygen flow.
- To run the test, researchers moved the yolk, albumen, and embryo from a fertilized chicken egg into the vessel, added calcium that a real shell would supply, and incubated it while imaging development through a clear window.
- Independent experts call the device an artificial eggshell rather than a full artificial egg because it relied on natural egg contents and lacked temporary embryonic structures that handle nutrients and waste.
- The company has released a press statement and video but no peer‑reviewed data, and its CEO says there are no current plans to publish a paper.
- Colossal says it will monitor the birds’ health, test larger formats starting with emu-scale systems, and explore conservation uses, while supporters highlight potential help for hard‑to‑breed endangered birds and ethicists warn about animal welfare and future ecological impacts.