Twenty-six baby chickens hatched inside an artificial environment built to mimic an eggshell. The system used a 3D printed lattice structure and was paired with an incubator to support embryo development. Fertilized eggs were poured into the artificial structure, and calcium was added to replace what would normally be absorbed from a natural eggshell. Embryos were imaged in real time to monitor growth. Colossal Biosciences said the technology could be scaled to genetically tweak living birds to resemble the extinct South Island giant moa, whose eggs are far larger than chicken eggs. Independent scientists said the system is impressive but lacks components needed to qualify as a true artificial egg, and they questioned whether de-extinction is possible.
"Twenty-six baby chickens - ranging from a few days to several months old - were born from a 3D printed lattice structure that mimics an eggshell, according to Colossal Biosciences."
"To hatch the chicks, Colossal scientists poured fertilized eggs into the artificial system and placed them in an incubator. They also added calcium, which is normally absorbed from the eggshell, and imaged the embryos' development and growth in real-time."
"Independent scientists say the technology, while impressive, lacks some components to be truly considered an artificial egg. And they said the idea of reviving extinct beasts is likely impossible."
""They might be able to use this technology to help them make a genetically modified bird, but that's just a genetically modified bird. It's not a moa," said evolutionary biologist Vincent Lynch with the University at Buffalo."
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