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Embryonic gecko hand
Science Snapshot: Show of Hands
This image took the top prize at the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.
Science Snapshot: Show of Hands
Science Snapshot: Show of Hands

This image took the top prize at the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.

This image took the top prize at the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.

embryonic development

Illustration of a human and Neanderthal skull side by side.
Mutation Linked to Difference Between Human and Neanderthal Brains
Dan Robitzski | Sep 9, 2022 | 5 min read
A single amino acid substitution in a protein causes increased neuron production in the frontal lobes of humans compared to Neanderthals—a tiny difference that could have given our species a cognitive edge, researchers say.
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.
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.
Conceptual image of an embryo with sound waves
Embryonic Eavesdropping: How Animals Hear and Respond to Sound
Amanda Heidt | Nov 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Recent findings buck the traditional idea that embryos are passive agents and instead suggest that by tuning into vibrations, organisms can better prepare to enter the outside world.
silhouette of a chimpanzee swinging against a blue sky
Alu Leap May Explain Why Apes Don’t Have Tails
Annie Melchor | Sep 23, 2021 | 2 min read
A transposable element that jumped into the TBXT gene, which is linked to tail morphology, appears to be to blame for our missing appendage.
Human-Monkey Chimeras Shed Light on Development
Abby Olena, PhD | Apr 15, 2021 | 3 min read
Human stem cells injected into early monkey embryos proliferate and contribute to multiple cell lineages over 20 days of embryonic development.
Lab-Grown Mouse Embryos Form Limbs and Organs
Lisa Winter | Mar 19, 2021 | 3 min read
The embryos completed one-third of their total gestation outside of a uterus.
Identical Twins Accumulate Genetic Differences in the Womb
Catherine Offord | Jan 7, 2021 | 4 min read
DNA replication errors during cell division cause monozygotic twins to diverge from each other even during the earliest stages of development, a new study finds.
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.
Image of the Day: Cellular Tracks
Carolyn Wilke | Jan 21, 2019 | 1 min read
To study the fate of stem cells in developing chick embryos, researchers trace their steps over time.
First Mouse Embryos Made from Two Fathers
Abby Olena, PhD | Oct 11, 2018 | 3 min read
The bipaternal pups died soon after birth, but mice with two mothers grew into fertile adults.
Image of the Day: The Birth of a Nervous System
Jef Akst | Oct 2, 2018 | 1 min read
The winner of the 2018 Nikon Small World in Motion video competition shows the development of sensory neurons in a zebrafish embryo.
In Their Earliest Days, Embryos Record Their Environments
Kerry Grens | Oct 1, 2018 | 4 min read
Methylation patterns at so-called metastable epialleles in the genome stamp a memory into each of our cells.
Animals’ Embryonic Organizer Now Discovered in Human Cells
Jim Daley | May 23, 2018 | 4 min read
The finding confirms that a cluster of cells that directs the fate of other cells in the developing embryo is evolutionarily conserved across the animal kingdom.
New Techniques Detail Embryos’ First Hours and Days
Jef Akst | Dec 1, 2017 | 10+ min read
New technologies reveal the dynamic changes in mouse and human embryos during the first week after fertilization.
Infographic: How Embryos Take Control of Their Own Development
Jef Akst | Nov 30, 2017 | 3 min read
The switch from maternal factors involves dynamic reprogramming of the zygotic genome.
How a Sleep-Associated Hormone Affects Murine Tooth Development
Mallory Locklear | Aug 22, 2016 | 3 min read
Disrupting the light/dark cycles of pregnant mice, researchers observe detrimental effects in the mouths of the animals’ pups.
Research at Micro- and Nanoscales
Mary Beth Aberlin | Jun 1, 2016 | 3 min read
From whole cells to genes, closer examination continues to surprise.
 
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