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Confocal image of a developing embryo with blue-labeled nuclei and orange stained edges.
Unraveling the Complex Mysteries of Embryonic Beginnings
Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz followed the aesthetic allure of the embryo to better understand the start of development.
Unraveling the Complex Mysteries of Embryonic Beginnings
Unraveling the Complex Mysteries of Embryonic Beginnings

Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz followed the aesthetic allure of the embryo to better understand the start of development.

Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz followed the aesthetic allure of the embryo to better understand the start of development.

embryo

Embryoid bodies, at the top of the page, are a cluster of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) that differentiate portions into ectoderm (orange), mesoderm (dark blue), and endoderm (pink).
Infographic: The Many Paths to Stem Cell-Based Embryo Models
Shelby Bradford, PhD | Sep 13, 2024 | 5 min read
Culturing pluripotent stem cells to replicate different stages of embryonic development allows researchers to more easily investigate this period.
A developing embryo with DNA labeled blue, cell boundaries labeled pink, and certain cells fluorescing green.
The First Two Cells in a Human Embryo Contribute Disproportionately to Fetal Development
Shelby Bradford, PhD | May 13, 2024 | 4 min read
A research team showed that, contrary to current models, one early embryonic cell dominates lineages that will become the fetus.
microscope image series showing synthetic embryo development
Mouse Embryo: No Sperm, Egg, or Uterus Required
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Aug 2, 2022 | 3 min read
Using stem cells and a bioreactor, researchers generated living embryos that survived for more than a week and began to develop internal organs.
Microscopy image of a cricket embryo, illuminated in green, pinched near one end, with one side full of bright green dots representing cell nuclei
How Wandering Nuclei Shape Developing Embryos
Viviane Callier | Jul 29, 2022 | 3 min read
As cricket blastoderms form, cell nuclei are pulled into an egg’s remaining empty space to form the new cell layers that will shape the developing animal.
Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V computer keyboard button with cable isolated on white background
Opinion: The Reproductive Technology Advances No One Asked For
John D. Loike and Alan Kadish | Jun 22, 2022 | 4 min read
Cloning and parthenogenesis of humans wouldn’t align with bioethical principles.
Photo of older woman dressed in blue smiling and looking at the camera
Cancer Researcher Beatrice Mintz Dies at 100
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jan 20, 2022 | 2 min read
Mintz’s experiments over her six-decade career were foundational to cancer and genetics research.
Multiple purple and pink renditions of stem cells appear as spherical clusters enveloped in translucent bubbles
Mammalian Embryos Might Not Need Primitive Streaks After All
Dan Robitzski | Dec 2, 2021 | 7 min read
The primitive streak, a structure that emerges during mammalian and avian gastrulation, might be a byproduct rather than a landmark of the embryonic development process.
Illustration showing how seagull chicks know when predators are lurking
Infographic: Animal Embryos Coopt Sound to Survive and Thrive
Amanda Heidt | Nov 1, 2021 | 1 min read
Across the tree of life, animals use sound and other vibrations to glean valuable sensory information about their environments even before they are born.
Several tadpoles in clear eggs
Slideshow: How Animal Embryos Eavesdrop on the Outside World
Amanda Heidt | Nov 1, 2021 | 4 min read
Watch and listen to reptiles, amphibians, insects, and birds respond to sound from inside their eggs.
istock
How to Grow a Mouse Embryo in a Dish
Roni Dengler, PhD | Aug 3, 2021 | 3 min read
Researchers are taking the concept of three-dimensional cell culture beyond single organoids to develop embryos from cells.
Illustration of two rats, one male and one female, that are surgically joined. The male has a uterus transplanted in, and both have embryos transplanted into their uteruses.
Study that Impregnated Male Rats Stirs Controversy
Andy Tay | Jun 25, 2021 | 7 min read
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.  
lewis wolpert obituary developmental biology embryo 14 day rule
High Profile Developmental Biologist Lewis Wolpert Dies at 91
Shawna Williams | Feb 16, 2021 | 2 min read
Wolpert, who conducted research at University College London, was known for his work on morphogenesis and pattern development in embryos and for his multiple books and broadcast appearances.
Panel Lays Out Guidelines for CRISPR-Edited Human Embryos
Lisa Winter | Sep 4, 2020 | 2 min read
The International Commission on the Clinical Use of Human Germline Genome Editing claims the technology is still too risky for therapeutic use.
Image of the Day: Brainless Frogs
Amy Schleunes | Feb 18, 2020 | 1 min read
Without a brain, the frog embryo immune system doesn’t receive the signals it needs to mobilize macrophages and fight infections.
A Woman of Firsts, Early 20th Century
Emily Makowski | Jan 13, 2020 | 3 min read
Florence Sabin was known for her pioneering research and efforts to support women in science.
China Sentences Gene-Editing Scientist to Three Years in Jail
Emily Makowski | Dec 30, 2019 | 2 min read
The modification of three babies’ genes by He Jiankui drew widespread criticism from scientists.
Photos of the Year
Emily Makowski | Dec 26, 2019 | 2 min read
From bubbling plants to endangered whales, here are some amazing images from The Scientist in 2019.
Early Embryo Models Generated from Mouse Stem Cells
Abby Olena, PhD | Oct 17, 2019 | 4 min read
Extended pluripotent stem cells from mice can self-organize to form blastocyst-like structures called blastoids that enable a closer look at early mammalian development.
human embryo
First Human–Monkey Chimeras Developed in China
Nicoletta Lanese | Aug 5, 2019 | 3 min read
The researchers aim to grow transplantable human organs from primate embryos.
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