pregnancy, developmental biology

Rare samples saved 35 years ago helped researchers map gene expression and cell differentiation in first trimester placentas.

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.

Work in rodents shows that the bacteria living in a mother’s gut can produce immunomodulatory metabolites and influence the production of maternal antibodies—both of which can affect her offspring’s development.

Bacteria in the gut influence the production of antibodies and themselves secrete metabolites. In a pregnant woman, these compounds may influence immune development of her fetus.

Before the joey is born, another pregnancy has already started.

A number of epidemiological studies support a link between air quality and poor health outcomes, and researchers are searching for explanations in the lab.

Rodent and human studies have revealed a multitude of effects starting during gestation and lasting into adulthood.

Inflammation may be a strong contender for the connection between mom’s weight and children’s neurodevelopment, according to lab studies on animals.

A small study based on circulating RNA in the blood of moms-to-be describes a technique that could be used to help predict who’s most at risk of preterm labor.

Biologist Christopher Coe answers readers’ questions about the prescient organ.

Meet some of the people featured in the August 2015 issue of The Scientist.

The animal world is full of clever solutions to bioengineering challenges.

New noninvasive methods of selecting the most viable embryo could revolutionize in vitro fertilization.