Colossal Biosciences, a biotechnology company focused on reviving extinct species, has successfully hatched live chicks using a 3D-printed artificial eggshell. The company reports that 26 chicks, ranging from days to months old, were born from a lattice structure designed to mimic a natural eggshell.
CEO Ben Lamm suggested the technology could eventually be scaled to help resurrect New Zealand's extinct South Island giant moa, whose eggs are about 80 times larger than a chicken's. “We wanted to build something that nature has done a pretty good job of developing and make it better and scalable,” he said.
However, independent scientists caution that the achievement does not constitute a truly artificial egg. Vincent Lynch, an evolutionary biologist at the University at Buffalo, noted that the system lacks essential components such as temporary organs that nourish the embryo and remove waste. “That’s not an artificial egg… It’s an artificial eggshell,” he said.
Nicola Hemmings, a bird reproductive biologist at the University of Sheffield, pointed out that similar hatching from artificial vessels is not new. She added that de-extinction efforts might be better directed at preserving endangered species. “My personal interests lie more in preserving what we’ve got than trying to bring back what is already gone,” she said.
Bioethicist Arthur Caplan from New York University raised concerns about the post-birth survival of any resurrected moa, given the drastic changes to its ancient habitat. “The big challenge is, what environment is this animal going to live in?” he questioned.
