BEIJING: Chinese scientists have created a see-through eggshell that allows them to watch the growth of an embryo inside it.
The researchers, at the Tsinghua University in Beijing, made the shell out of a silicon-based organic polymer and placed a bird embryo inside it.
The eggshell offers a unique glimpse into how embryos develop and could be used to test drugs on embryos and to understand how certain biological processes work, Sciencealert.com reports.
The embryo shown in the above video did not hatch to grow into an adult bird but was kept and observed for 17 days.
The egg could be a breakthrough in ‘lab-on-a-chip’ technologies, which can simulate a variety of organs such as the heart, kidneys or skin.
The technology allows tests can be carried out on specific organs instead of carrying out tests on laboratory animals.
