A new technique for explantation and in vitro cultivation of chicken embryos

A technique is described for explanting and cultivating chicken embryos in plastic drinking cups which have been modified with plastic wrap to reproduce the geometry and dimensions of the egg shell. Successful explantation rates of 97% are possible with a double-window technique, and survivability in cups exceeds that achievable in other in vitro systems (i.e., petri dishes). Long-term survival to the 21st day of incubation is seen routinely. This system with cups is less expensive than that with petri dishes, and simpler than that with plastic wrap/tripods. Thus, this new method of in vitro cultivation of chicken embryos improves upon explantation rate, survivability and system design, and has a wide range of applications in developmental biology, angiogenesis, cancer, and pharmacology research.