Colossal Biosciences has achieved a significant milestone by hatching live chicks from artificial eggs, a breakthrough that may pave the way for reviving extinct species like the dodo.
A Texas-based biotechnology company, Colossal Biosciences, has successfully hatched live chicks from artificial eggs for the first time. This groundbreaking achievement could potentially lead to the revival of extinct birds, including the dodo and the giant moa.
Colossal Biosciences developed a reusable titanium egg lined with a bioengineered membrane that mimics the oxygen transfer capabilities of a natural eggshell. Utilizing this innovative technology, scientists were able to hatch 26 healthy chickens while closely monitoring their development from embryo to birth, as reported by The New York Post.
“We didn’t just copy nature,” said Ben Lamm, CEO and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences. “We tried to re-engineer it.”
The chicks will remain at the company’s avian facility for their entire lives, according to Lamm. Researchers believe that this technology could enhance hatch rates for endangered bird species and support broader efforts to resurrect extinct species, including the dodo and the moa.
The moa, a massive flightless bird that once inhabited New Zealand, could weigh up to 500 pounds before it was hunted to extinction centuries ago. The artificial egg developed by Colossal is compatible with standard incubators and has the potential to support eggs as large as those laid by moa birds.
Before scaling this technology further, Colossal plans to conduct additional testing using emu and ostrich eggs, as reported by The New York Post.
The company is actively pursuing its moa revival project in collaboration with New Zealand’s Ngāi Tahu Research Centre and filmmaker Peter Jackson, who is also an investor in Colossal Biosciences.
Lamm expressed optimism about the timeline for these projects, stating that the company believes the moa could be brought back by the early 2030s, while the dodo could potentially be revived within four to five years.
“The avian reproductive toolkit has lagged behind mammalian systems for decades because birds present unique developmental challenges,” said Dr. Beth Shapiro, chief science officer of Colossal. “The artificial egg changes that.”
This innovative approach to avian reproduction could mark a significant step forward in conservation efforts, potentially allowing scientists to address the challenges of reviving species that have long been lost to extinction.
As the technology continues to evolve, the implications for biodiversity and ecological restoration could be profound, offering hope for the future of endangered and extinct species alike, according to The New York Post.