Eggs do not need shells

A Japanese high school teacher developed a method of incubation in plastic wrap and plastic cups to replace the eggshell.

Chicken is hatched outside the eggshell. (Photo: N. HK)

Yutaka Tahara, 60, teaches biology at Oihama High School, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, Japan. He had opened fertilized eggshells so that students could observe the development of the embryo inside. But in doing so the chicks will die in the process, so Tahara has been researching for 30 years to investigate how to incubate without risking the chicks' lives.

He took the embryos from the fertilized egg, placed them in a special environment consisting of breathable plastic bags and plastic cups. Then, keep the temperature and humidity inside the incubator at a constant level. The first batch of chicken-making experiments in June last year and they are still developing normally, NHK reported.

"More than 50% of chicks can grow without eggshell," says Tahara. "This method is used to save embryos when eggshells break down."

A report on the results of the experiment earned him the highest award from the Association of High School Biological Teachers.