Overview
- Colossal Biosciences said it produced 26 live chickens using a 3D-printed lattice that functions as an eggshell.
- Researchers transferred fertilized egg contents into the device, incubated them, added calcium normally drawn from a shell, and tracked growth with real-time imaging.
- Independent scientists say the setup lets oxygen in through a membrane but lacks the temporary organs that feed, stabilize, and remove waste, so it is not a complete artificial egg.
- CEO Ben Lamm presents the platform as a step toward raising very large embryos such as a moa, yet experts point to major size, genome editing, and surrogate engineering barriers.
- Bioethicists question how any revived or engineered bird would live and be cared for in today’s ecosystems, warning that feasibility does not resolve welfare and habitat concerns.