Texas-based biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences said it successfully hatched live chicks using a fully artificial egg system, marking a new step in artificial womb research.
The company said scientists placed early-stage bird embryos inside a shell-less incubation device that mimicked the environment of a natural egg. Researchers incubated the embryos for 18 days while supplying nutrient solutions to sustain development.
According to Colossal Biosciences, the chicks hatched healthy and showed normal development after emerging from the artificial system. The company described the device as a potential stepping stone toward future artificial womb technology.
The incubation structure used a 3D-printed outer shell combined with a silicon-based membrane that allowed oxygen diffusion into the developing embryo, the company said.
Colossal Biosciences said the technology could support conservation work for endangered bird species. The company stated that nearly half of global bird species face varying levels of threat.
🐣 The first chicken has been born using an artificial egg, in a breakthrough that could help bring back the 12ft-tall giant moa from extinction@sarahknapton explains how that could be possible 👇https://t.co/oQCPJ2S9fu pic.twitter.com/i8pe1fHKez
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) May 19, 2026The biotechnology firm previously announced the de-extinction of dire wolves and is also pursuing projects involving woolly mammoths and the extinct South Island giant moa.
In a statement announcing the experiment, the company called the device a “complete game-changer” for embryo development outside a natural eggshell.
