reproductive biology

The cells’ mitochondria skip a key metabolic reaction that takes place in other cells in the body, a study finds.

A study suggests that several species of brown algae may have independently evolved to express both sexes simultaneously, and it’s likely that female algae evolved male traits—not the other way around.

Agarwood fruit smells like prey, luring carnivorous hornets, a study suggests.

An epigenome-wide association study found more than a dozen methylation changes in placental DNA that correlated with expectant mothers’ self-reports of depression and stress during their pregnancy.

The Scientist spoke with marine biologist and barnacle researcher John Zardus about why turtle barnacles—previously thought to be immobile—in fact slowly travel. He thinks the answer is food.

Scientists are banking various samples from recipients of donated uteruses to learn all they can about the biology of the organ, and about transplantation more generally.

Hearing others’ perspectives on infertility and pregnancy has me reconsidering my own reproductive journey.

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.

With human research trials resulting in dozens of successful deliveries in the US and abroad, doctors move toward offering the surgery clinically, while working to learn all they can about uterine and transplant biology from the still-rare procedure.

CRISPR and other innovations are likely to open up a wealth of new options for how people have children.

Meet some of the people featured in the August 2021 issue of The Scientist.

A combination of approaches, including uterus transplantation and the joining of two animals’ circulatory systems, allowed males to bear pups, according to a preprint. But some experts say the experiments were not justified.  

Female mice modeling the hormonal disorder can pass symptoms down for several generations, likely via changes in genome methylation that are similarly observed in women with PCOS.

The identification of the transcription factors that elicit oocyte growth will aid reproductive biology research and might help women with fertility issues, scientists say.  

The controversial oogonial stem cells eluded a team of Swedish researchers who mapped high-quality tissue samples of the human ovary, prompting more questions about the cells’ existence.  

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

Bardin’s work helped lead to the development of long-acting contraceptive devices for women.

Proteins that synthesize, bind, and degrade endocannabinoids are present in the body’s sperm factories, suggesting that the use of cannabis may directly affect them.