Under the microscope, MSK scientists studied how cells in a mouse embryo (green) move out and break away from their original tissue by contracting their surfaces (red). Studying this process, known as ...

Two to three weeks after conception, an embryo faces a critical point in its development. In the stage known as gastrulation, the transformation of embryonic cells into specialized cells begins. This ...

The role of Fibroblast Growth Factor 8 (FGF8) in embryonic development and organ formation is gaining increased recognition as scientists uncover its wide-ranging influence. FGF8, a powerful signaling ...

Life begins with a single fertilized cell that gradually transforms into a multicellular organism. This process requires ...

Using CRISPR-based engineering methods to prompt stem cells to organize into embryo-like structures, scientists were able to create 'programmable' cellular models of embryos without ever experimenting ...

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 ...

Descriptions of the embryo go back at least to the time of Aristotle, but it has only been since the late 19 th century and early 20 th century that advances in experimental approaches allowed ...

Shelby is an assistant editor for The Scientist. She earned her PhD from West Virginia University in immunology and microbiology and completed an AAAS Mass Media fellowship. View full profile. Learn ...