ADVERTISEMENT
Rhinos on the plains of the Serengeti
A Stem Cell Zoo Reveals Surprising Differences in Embryogenesis
By comparing stem cells from six mammals of different sizes, scientists discovered stark differences in embryonic development paces.
A Stem Cell Zoo Reveals Surprising Differences in Embryogenesis
A Stem Cell Zoo Reveals Surprising Differences in Embryogenesis

By comparing stem cells from six mammals of different sizes, scientists discovered stark differences in embryonic development paces.

By comparing stem cells from six mammals of different sizes, scientists discovered stark differences in embryonic development paces.

development

Chromosome with gold band
Immunity Genes May Play a Role in Down Syndrome
Kamal Nahas, PhD | Jul 6, 2023 | 4 min read
Extra copies of four interferon receptor genes found on human chromosome 21 trigger developmental changes in a mouse model of Down syndrome.
A nine-banded armadillo walking on dry grass.
Leprosy Bacterium Rejuvenates Armadillos’ Livers
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Nov 15, 2022 | 4 min read
Mycobacterium leprae appeared to reprogram the animals’ livers to a state partially resembling early development, resulting in healthy organ growth.
Modeling Human Disease and Development with Organoids
Modeling Human Disease and Development with Organoids
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read
Discover how scientists use cardiac and skin organoids to study differentiation and toxicity. 
An iPhone screen with the app icons for Twitter and Mastodon side by side. Other apps are arranged in rows around them.
What’s the Future of Science Twitter?
Katherine Irving | Nov 11, 2022 | 2 min read
In the wake of Elon Musk’s takeover, many researchers are exploring their options with the open-source platform Mastodon.
illustration of virus particles and DNA strands
Ancient Viral DNA Plays a Role in Human Disease and Development
Aidan Burn, The Conversation | Oct 19, 2022 | 4 min read
Viral remnants make up 8 percent of the human genome, and a new study finds that these sequences are still active in healthy people.
pregnant belly clad in hospital gown with IV line going into hand
Registry Review Casts Doubt on Causal Link Between Maternal Infection and Autism
Charles Q. Choi, Spectrum | Sep 26, 2022 | 4 min read
Maternal infection during pregnancy may be associated with autism, as previous studies have suggested—but perhaps not in a causal way.
Pink rat pups piled on top of each other.
Rat Sperm Generated from Stem Cells
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Apr 7, 2022 | 4 min read
Researchers report they were able to make functional sperm in a dish, a feat previously only possible for mice.
Photo of Junyue Cao
Junyue Cao Applies Novel Approaches to Aging and Disease
Lisa Winter | Mar 14, 2022 | 3 min read
The Rockefeller University geneticist is tracing the full lifespan of individual cells to better understand how and why humans age.
Image of an abstract fractal blue and green sea shell.
Cell Chirality Offers Clues to the Mystery of Body Asymmetry
Catherine Offord | Feb 1, 2022 | 10+ min read
Researchers explore the idea that molecular patterns in individual cells could underlie the development of a left and a right in animals.
Illustration of fibers in a cell twisting
Infographic: The Emergence of Chirality in the Cell Cytoskeleton
Catherine Offord | Feb 1, 2022 | 1 min read
Researchers use imaging to show how actin fibers tilt and then swirl to create left-right asymmetry in the cell.
Photo of older woman dressed in blue smiling and looking at the camera
Cancer Researcher Beatrice Mintz Dies at 100
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jan 20, 2022 | 2 min read
Mintz’s experiments over her six-decade career were foundational to cancer and genetics research.
An APP-knockout neuron (right) shows extended axonal and reduced dendritic growth compared with a normal mouse neuron (left). Scale bar 50 µm.
Amyloid Precursor Protein Linked to Brain Development Mechanisms
Catherine Offord | Dec 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Researchers provide evidence that the Alzheimer’s-associated protein calibrates a signaling pathway that is conserved across the animal kingdom.
One white mouse with red eyes runs on a blue exercise wheel, while another mouse stands with front paws on the wheel
Serious Infections Linked to Autism: Study
Abby Olena, PhD | Sep 17, 2021 | 5 min read
In both a mouse model and the hospital records of more than 3 million children, researchers found a connection between strong immune activation in males and later symptoms of autism spectrum disorder.
Infographic: Maternal Microbiota Has Lasting Effects on Offspring
Carolyn A. Thomson and Kathy D. McCoy | Aug 1, 2021 | 3 min read
Work in rodents shows that the bacteria living in a mother’s gut can produce immunomodulatory metabolites and influence the production of maternal antibodies—both of which can affect her offspring’s development.
The Role of Mom’s Microbes During Pregnancy
Carolyn A. Thomson and Kathy D. McCoy | Aug 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Bacteria in the gut influence the production of antibodies and themselves secrete metabolites. In a pregnant woman, these compounds may influence immune development of her fetus.
Photo of newborn mouse pups
Retinal Activity Prepares Blind Newborn Mice for Vision
Ruth Williams | Jul 22, 2021 | 3 min read
Spontaneous waves of nerve impulses flowing across the retina help mouse pups practice motion detection for when they eventually open their eyes.
Human-Monkey Chimeras Shed Light on Development
Abby Olena, PhD | Apr 15, 2021 | 3 min read
Human stem cells injected into early monkey embryos proliferate and contribute to multiple cell lineages over 20 days of embryonic development.
Siobhán Brady Uses Big Data to Investigate Plant Development
Shawna Williams | Feb 1, 2021 | 3 min read
The University of California, Davis, professor is a pioneer in teasing apart the changes in gene expression that drive root development.
Action at a Distance, Circa Early 1950s
Diana Kwon | Dec 1, 2020 | 3 min read
Neuroscientist Rita Levi-Montalcini began her Nobel Prize–winning work in a makeshift laboratory in Italy during the Second World War.
ADVERTISEMENT