Colossal Biosciences says it has grown chickens inside 3D-printed artificial eggshells.
The company says the egg technology could help conserve endangered bird species. “It could also play a role in a project to recreate the extinct giant moa, a 3,5-meter-tall, flightless bird that once lived in New Zealand. It laid four-liter eggs, the largest of any living bird.”
The biotech company claims to have developed a “fully artificial egg” as part of its effort to resurrect extinct bird species, including birds such as the dodo and the giant moa.
“Artificial eggshell” is one description for the invention. It’s an oval printed mesh, coated on the inside with a special silicone-based membrane that allows oxygen to enter, just like a real eggshell does. To create the birds, Colossal took newly laid chicken eggs and carefully poured their contents into the artificial shells, where they continued to grow. A window at the top allows the researchers to see inside.
“Seeing them all moving around inside their artificial eggs is amazing,” says Andrew Pask, the company’s head of biology. “It really feels like you can grow life outside the womb.”
The work on the artificial eggshell was done in Dallas by Colossal's exoskeleton development team, or Exo Dev. That team is also trying to develop artificial wombs for mammals, starting with marsupials.
"We're looking at every aspect of what happens during a mammalian pregnancy to analyze exactly how we can do it again next time," says Pask.
For this group, an artificial eggshell is a relatively quick and easy technical win. That's because chickens are already an example of ectopic development.
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
