Colossal Biosciences Announces 26 Chickens Hatched From Its Artificial Egg System in a Step Toward Bringing Back the Moa and Dodo

A new silicone-based membrane in a hexagonal cup allowed Colossal researchers to hatch 26 chickens from a synthetic shell, with plans to scale the technology toward extinct bird species whose eggs no living surrogate could produce.

26 healthy chickens were hatched by Colossal Biosciences using a new system called the Colossal artificial egg: a silicone-based membrane set inside a rigid hexagonal cup that allows oxygen to pass through while retaining moisture, designed to replicate the function of a natural eggshell. The company describes the technology as a step toward eventually hatching extinct bird species, including New Zealand’s giant moa and Mauritius’s dodo, in eggs scaled to sizes no living bird could produce.

No peer-reviewed paper accompanies the announcement. Colossal has also not released hatch rates for comparison against prior methods. The artificial egg uses a silicone membrane designed to replicate the natural gas exchange of a real eggshell, with a clear window built in so scientists can observe the developing embryo directly.

This story is based on original reporting by Christina Larson for National Geographic. Read the full feature on National Geographic → https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/artificial-egg-colossal-chickens-moa-dodo