The functioning of neurons, cells that transmit information in the nervous system, heavily relies on the production of ...

A new study from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) in London, UK reveals how ancient viral DNA once written off as "junk" plays a crucial role in the earliest moments of life. The research, ...

University of Cambridge scientists have used human stem cells to create three-dimensional embryo-like structures that replicate certain aspects of very early human development - including the ...

Exploring biology in its native environment is perhaps the ideal scenario for generating better hypotheses about the cellular interactions that influence—and drive—healthy and diseased states, ...

Every human life begins as a cluster of cells that soon face critical decisions. Within weeks, those cells must choose their fates – some forming the nervous system, others the gut, heart, or muscle.

Our ancient past isn't always buried history. When it comes to our DNA, nearly 9% of the human genome is made up of leftover genetic material from ancient viruses (called endogenous retroviruses or ...

Metabolism does more than fuel embryos—it sets their developmental rhythm. EMBL researchers found that a sugar molecule, FBP, controls the pace of spine formation, suggesting metabolism may act as a ...

Not revised: This Reviewed Preprint includes the authors’ original preprint (without revision), an eLife assessment, public reviews, and a provisional response from the authors. The study by Bobola et ...

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues represent the predominant sample conservation method in clinical practice, yet degraded and crosslinked RNA has long limited whole-transcriptome ...

A team of researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in Spain has succeeded, for the first time, in recording in real time and in 3D the implantation of a human embryo. This ...

Researchers have captured the very first real-time, three-dimensional images and videos of a human embryo implanting into synthetic uterine tissue—revealing a key stage in reproduction. The resulting ...