Scientists hatch live chickens from 3D-printed eggshells: Could artificial wombs be next?

Scientists have achieved a major and wondrous breakthrough in biological sciences by hatching 26 healthy chickens from 3D-printed eggshells.

Hailing as scientific “stepping stone”, the breakthrough would push science one step closer to creating “artificial wombs” capable of carrying children and giving birth to them.

The experiment was conducted by Texas biotech firm, Colossal Biosciences, in which the scientists developed a 3D-printed transparent “artificial eggshells” designed to incubate avian embryos outside a natural shell.

The egg is also lined with a specialized silicon membrane that makes the gaseous exchange, such as oxygen, natural and easy. To compensate for the real calcium, the researchers supplemented the process with ground-up calcium.

The motive behind the egg technology is to conserve those bird species which are at great risk of being extinct. Moreover, the technology is also aiming to de-extinct giant moa, a flightless 12-foot-tall bird, native to New Zealand and laid four-liter eggs.

Colossal Biosciences has also been involved in various de-extinction projects where the startup revived the extinct dire wolves. Earlier this month, the scientists also announced to de-extinct Bluebuck Antelope, lost for over 200 years. It is also working on plans to bring the woolly mammoth and dado back under de-extinction project.

However, in the scientific community the recent achievement is more than a breakthrough, it is an iterative improvement on long-standing ex-utero incubation techniques.

Andrew Pask, the company’s chief biology officer expressed his wonder, stating, “To see them all moving around in their artificial eggs was absolutely mind blowing. You really feel you can grow life outside of the womb.”

“The device changes everything. We are showing the world that we can grow this whole bird in an incubator outside of an eggshell. It’s a complete game-changer. Life finds a way,” the company stated.

Critics from scientific community, including researchers who pioneered similar "shell-less" incubation methods dating back to 1998, argue that Colossal is overstating its novelty.