Transposable elements are stretches of DNA that can move around the genome. Many of these DNA sequences originate from long ago, when viruses inserted their genetic material into our ancestors' ...

Researchers have discovered a potential 'pause button' in the earliest stages of human development. Whether humans can control the timing of their development has long been debated. The new study ...

The earliest days after fertilization, once a sperm cell meets an egg, are shrouded in scientific mystery. The process of how a humble single cell becomes an organism fascinates scientists across ...

Alcohol exposure during early pregnancy often occurs before a woman realises she is pregnant. This article explains how ...

Scientists in the Brivanlou lab used light-inducible gene expression (yellow circle) and embryo models to demonstrate that, at the start of gastrulation, body-axis formation requires an interplay ...

Cell division is an essential process for all life on earth, yet the exact mechanisms by which cells divide during early ...

Infertility is a major healthcare concern. Understanding the molecular regulators governing fertilization, early embryonic ...