Biotech Company Claims Development of Artificial Egg for Hatching Birds

Dallas. A biotech company based in Dallas has claimed to have developed a completely 'artificial egg', with the help of which various species of birds can be hatched. This technology is said to help in reviving extinct bird species and conserving endangered species in theory.

One of the stated goals of this company called 'Colossal Biosciences' is to revive the 3-meter-tall New Zealand bird 'South Island Giant Moa' (Dinornis robustus), which became extinct in the 14th century.

Colossal Biosciences' artificial egg looks like an ordinary plastic cup, but it is a 3D-printed marvel that allows a chicken embryo to develop into a live chick. Its real innovation lies in the silicon membrane coated within its porous structure, which allows sufficient oxygen to pass through, just like a natural egg.

To test its artificial egg, the company carefully poured the contents of a biological egg into this artificial egg and left a small window-like space at the top for observation.

The company has claimed to have succeeded in hatching chicks using this and that this system is fully scalable and biologically accurate, which can be used to hatch extinct birds like the giant moa weighing 500 pounds.

Colossal Biosciences has also prepared a larger version of its porous artificial egg to replace the moa bird's egg, which could be the size of a football. However, as MIT Technology Review has clarified, the company is still far from bringing back the moa bird.

They will still have to study the DNA of this extinct bird from old bones and make thousands of genetic changes to the genome of currently existing birds, which is a big challenge in itself. This innovative artificial egg is certainly an important step towards achieving the company's stated goal, but it is only an initial step.

Previously, in 1998, Japanese scientists successfully hatched quail chicks from artificial eggs, and since then, other researchers have also conducted similar experiments on other bird species. However, their system required external oxygen supply, which led to genetic defects in some chicks or the inability to hatch chicks.

The membrane developed by Colossal Biosciences, however, allows oxygen to enter naturally. Paul Mozdiak, a stem-cell biologist at North Carolina State University, speaking about this artificial egg, said, 'This could be truly significant and amazing, but without the necessary data, it is impossible to judge what its real impact will be.'