Scientists produce artificial egg to 'bring giant extinct bird back from the dead'
A tech firm says it can support a moa embryo from early development to hatching
Scientists are hopeful of bringing back to life a giant bird which went extinct 600 years ago after managing to hatch chicks from an artificial egg.
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The moa was a flightless species which weighed around 230kg and roamed forests in New Zealand but went out of existence centuries ago.
The biotechnology firm Colossal Biosciences says it has a device that can support an embryo from early development to hatching.
DNA from the bird's relatives such as emus and tinamous is being used to work out which genetic features produced the moa and over time emu cells will be edited to create an embryo that can produce an animal that is "moa-like".
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Colossal's CEO, Ben Lamm, said: "Restoring species like the South Island giant moa isn’t just about reconstructing ancient genomes and editing [primordial germ cells, which eventually become sperm or eggs].
"It requires building an entirely new incubation system where no surrogate exists. It’s a major milestone for Colossal and a foundational technology for our de-extinction toolkit."
Despite moa eggs potentially reaching up to eight times bigger than an emu’s, meaning no living bird would be able to play mother to it, Colossal says it can create an artificial egg by using a device capable of handling larger sizes.
The controlled chamber removes the need for a surrogate mother.
Colossal said the breakthrough may also benefit endangered animals.
The moa is said to have thrived in New Zealand's rural landscapes until human settlers arrived and hunted them to extinction.
It said: "Imagine a future where we have hundreds or thousands of eggs in laboratories growing critically endangered species.
"These are the stepping stones that an artificial womb will be built on."
The device has already been used by the firm to successfully produce baby chickens.
Carles Lalueza–Fox, director of the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona and a specialist in DNA recovery techniques, said: "Colossal has succeeded in developing an artificial egg, something for which there are no comparable precedents.
"The most significant breakthrough lies in the permeability of the membrane, which allows gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) to pass through."
Professor Andrew Pask, chief biology officer at Colossal, said: "We've created a novel shell–less culture system that is fully scalable and biologically accurate.
"It's a new system designed for long–term, healthy avian embryo development."