Colossal hatches 26 chicks via artificial egg

Colossal Biosciences said on May 19 that it had hatched 26 healthy chickens from a fully artificial egg system, a result the company described as a step toward incubating birds that cannot be carried by living surrogate species. The Dallas-based company said the setup uses a 3D-printed structure and a semi-permeable silicone membrane in place of a conventional eggshell. Colossal said the chicks developed from early embryo to hatch outside a biological shell. National Geographic and Time both reported the announcement this week, citing the company’s description of the system and its relevance to future dodo and giant moa work. ### What exactly did Colossal say it built? Colossal described the device as a “fully artificial egg” that supports complete avian embryo development outside a natural shell. In its May 19 announcement, the company said the platform relies on a silicone membrane that allows gas exchange and does not require supplemental oxygen during incubation. The company’s materials say the system is shell-less rather than egg-shaped in the ordinary sense. (colossal.com) Smithsonian Magazine reported that the chicks emerged from 3D-printed honeycomb structures, and Colossal’s own post said embryos were transferred into the artificial system and hatched about 18 days later. ### Why use chickens if the stated goal involves extinct birds? Chickens were the proof-of-concept species because they are a well-studied living bird and offer a practical way to test whether an embryo can survive full development outside a natural shell. (colossal.com) Colossal said the same incubation approach is meant to help species for which no suitable surrogate exists. Time and National Geographic both reported that Colossal has tied the platform directly to its avian de-extinction plans, especially the dodo and New Zealand’s South Island giant moa. (colossal.com) The moa is a central case because the extinct bird was far larger than any living bird that could realistically serve as a surrogate parent. ### Why is incubation such a bottleneck for birds? (colossal.com) Bird embryos normally develop inside hard shells that regulate moisture and enable gas exchange. Colossal said recreating that environment outside a biological egg has been a core technical obstacle in avian reproductive engineering. Colossal’s separate materials on artificial womb and avian exo-development said the company had previously hatched an earlier batch of chicks from 3D-printed eggs in December 2025. (nationalgeographic.com) The May 19 announcement presented the 26 healthy chicks as a larger demonstration of a platform the company says can be scaled. ### Has the work been independently published? Smithsonian Magazine reported that Colossal does not plan to detail the system in a scientific paper at this stage. (colossal.com) That means the public evidence so far comes from company statements, images and interviews, plus follow-up reporting by outside outlets. (colossal.com) Associated Press coverage carried by ClickOnDetroit said the announcement drew mixed reactions from outside scientists and critics of de-extinction. The reports available so far describe the result as notable, but they also make clear that broader scientific scrutiny will depend on more detailed disclosure. ### What happens next? (smithsonianmag.com) Colossal said the artificial egg platform is intended for future work on dodo and giant moa embryos, two species already listed in the company’s de-extinction program. The company’s recent avian updates also point to related work on gene-edited chicken surrogates and long-term pigeon primordial germ cell culture for dodo research. Colossal’s next public benchmark is likely to come through its company news page, where the May 19 artificial egg announcement now sits alongside other de-extinction updates. (clickondetroit.com) As of May 22, the company had not published a peer-reviewed paper describing the full incubation system. (colossal.com 1) (colossal.com 2)