A stretch of viral DNA in the mouse genome gives cells in early-stage embryos the potential to become almost any cell type in ...

For decades, scientists have struggled to study this moment in humans because of ethical restrictions and limited access to ...

In the earliest hours after fertilization, an embryo takes its first steps toward becoming a living organism by shedding maternal control and activating its own genetic program. This critical process, ...

Scientists create a ‘mini-womb’ 3D model on a microfluidic chip which could lead to treatments for women affected by ...

The mystery of early embryonic communication is starting to be unraveled thanks to a new stem cell-based model.

Ancient viruses are embedded everywhere in the human genome. Estimates range, but it's thought that about eight percent of the human genome could be made up of these ancient retroviruses, which are ...

A China-led team has successfully created a mini-womb on a chip, replicating the early stages of human pregnancy ...

A critical transition in early human development is regulated not by our own genes, but by DNA elements called transposons that can move around the genome, Sinai Health researchers have found. This ...

The team observed the emergence of the three-dimensional embryo-like structures under a microscope in the lab. These started producing blood (seen here in red) after around two weeks of development - ...