Topic description and stories

Human embryo cultured in vitro

Study suggests embryos could be susceptible to coronavirus as early as second week of pregnancy

05 Aug 2020

Genes that are thought to play a role in how the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects our cells have been found to be active in embryos as early as during the...

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Sarah Harrison

Postgraduate Pioneers 2017 #2

25 Oct 2017

With our Postgraduate Open Day fast-approaching (3 Nov), we introduce five PhD candidates who are already making waves at Cambridge.

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Left: Early skate embryo labeled with fluorescent dye. Right: Image of a hatchling skate

Deeper origin of gill evolution suggests 'active lifestyle' link in early vertebrates

09 Feb 2017

Fish embryo study indicates that the last common ancestor of vertebrates was a complex animal complete with gills – overturning prior scientific...

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Imaging a human embryo in the absence of maternal tissues - day 10 (left) and day 11 (right)

Scientists develop human embryos beyond implantation stage for first time

04 May 2016

A new technique that allows embryos to develop in vitro beyond the implantation stage (when the embryo would normally implant into the womb) has been...

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Chromosomes (cropped)

Early-stage embryos with abnormalities may still develop into healthy babies

29 Mar 2016

Abnormal cells in the early embryo are not necessarily a sign that a baby will be born with a birth defect such as Down’s syndrome, suggests new...

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Early stage embryo

Shaping up: Researchers reconstruct early stages of embryo development

04 Nov 2014

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have managed to reconstruct the early stage of mammalian development using embryonic stem cells, showing...

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Mouse embryo development

Under the Microscope #3 - Mouse embryo

26 Jan 2012

In this video, we see a mouse embryo developing. Dr Erica Watson tells us that studying this process helps us better understand human pregnancy.

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Model embryo making

Making visible embryos

04 Jan 2009

A new online exhibition explores the visual culture of embryology as part of a research initiative on the history of reproduction.

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