developmental biology

Scientists discover a molecular factor that allows them to follow neurons from birth to maturity.

Baby frogs don’t develop the neural circuitry responsible for feeding inhibition until they begin metamorphosing into adults. 

By removing a single gene, researchers change the developmental fate of tumor cells in mice.  

New details of the molecular process by which our cells consume themselves point to therapeutic potential.

Research into the biological basis of gender identity is in its infancy, but clues are beginning to emerge.

The technique could combat infertility, but it's still not clear whether these eggs are normal and functional.

Pectin fragments may signal plant cells to maintain a type of growth suited to darkness.

Developmental biologists take a close look at how alligator embryos grow. 

Single-cell genome analyses reveal the amount of mutations a human brain cell will collect from its fetal beginnings until death.

Peering through a microscope since age 14, Joseph Gall, now 89, still sees wonder at the other end.

Looking back, looking forward

New technologies reveal the dynamic changes in mouse and human embryos during the first week after fertilization.

The switch from maternal factors involves dynamic reprogramming of the zygotic genome.

Scientists study the development of scales in skate embryos. 

Scientists are making use of Xenopus tadpoles to study autism risk genes. 

In Fragile X syndrome—a genetic mishap that results in cognitive delays—the lack of a translation-repressing protein leads to the rampant accumulation of other proteins in the mouse brain.

From guiding branching neurons in the developing brain to maintaining a healthy heartbeat, there seems to be no job that the immune cells can’t tackle.

In addition to circulating in the blood as immune sentinels, macrophages play specialized roles in different organs around the body.

Adding or removing water changes how stem cells differentiate.

OCT4 is necessary for blastocyst formation in the human embryo, researchers report.