On Tuesday, biotech startup Colossal announced its newest development on the road to its announced goal: reversing the extinction of species, in this case, avian species. The development itself is essentially an artificial eggshell, one that allows almost the entire developmental process to occur without the shell. The company transferred the contents of eggs to their specially designed container within a day or two of laying and were able to have normal chicks walk away from it.
Beyond its potential utility for Colossal’s intended efforts, the work is personally interesting to me because it may solve a problem I faced in my research days. I’m going to start by describing the research problem that Colossal may have solved, before coming back to what it hopes to use its technology to do—and why the company still has a few key hurdles left to overcome.
Watching development
For part of my career, I studied the development of vertebrates using chickens. While they’re less closely related to us than something like mice, the basics of their development are largely the same. And, unlike mice, they develop outside of their mother’s body. If you’re careful, you can chip away a hole in the egg, perform manipulations on the developing embryo, and then seal it back up with some tape. The chicken embryo will keep developing, allowing you to see the impact of what you’ve done on normal development.
This is a fascinating development in the world of biotechnology! It’s interesting to see how innovation is pushing the boundaries of traditional farming practices. Looking forward to seeing how this progresses!
I agree, it really is fascinating! The idea of using artificial eggs could open up new possibilities for conservation and biodiversity efforts. It will be interesting to see how this technology evolves and its potential impact on other species as well.
Absolutely, it’s a game-changer for both conservation and agriculture. If successful, it could not only help revive extinct species but also improve the resilience of current poultry breeds. Exciting times ahead for biotech!