Artificial egg hatched 26 healthy chickens

Summary

The Colossal Biosciences artificial egg — a silicone-membrane synthetic shell system — successfully hatched 26 healthy chickens, the Dallas-based de-extinction company announced on May 19, 2026. Colossal Biosciences describes the breakthrough as a foundational step toward its goal of resurrecting extinct bird species, including New Zealand’s South Island giant moa and Mauritius’s dodo. What the Colossal Artificial Egg System Is The Colossal artificial egg is a two-component system: a semi-permeable silicone-based membrane housed inside a rigid hexagonal support cup. The membrane is engineered to replicate the gas-exchange function of a natural eggshell — allowing oxygen to pass through while retaining moisture and blocking contaminants. According to Colossal Chief Biology Officer Andrew Pask, the membrane enables gas exchange at a rate comparable to a biological shell. “It’s a really specialized very thin membrane that enables there to be really effective gas exchange, which is what the eggshell is unbelievably engineered for.” — Andrew Pask, Chief Biology Officer, Colossal Biosciences The system also incorporates a clear window at the top of the artificial egg, allowing scientists to observe embryo development directly without disrupting the environment inside. The design is variable in size — in theory scalable from hummingbird-egg dimensions down to the soccer-ball-sized eggs of the South Island giant moa, which once stood nearly 12 feet tall. Why Hatching Birds Without Natural Shells Has Been Difficult Prior shell-free hatching systems have faced a consistent barrier: most require large volumes of supplemental concentrated oxygen during later development stages, which risks damaging DNA in the developing embryo. Success rates using plastic cups, saran wrap, and other artificial containers have historically been low, according to Mike McGrew, an embryologist at the Roslin Institute and a scientific advisor on avian stem cells to Colossal. System Approach Key Limi...