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 ...

The oviduct plays an indispensable role in mammalian reproduction by not only transporting gametes and embryos but also by providing a finely tuned microenvironment that supports fertilisation and ...

What do the earliest stages of a pregnancy look like? Embryonic development has been extensively studied, but most of our knowledge of the earliest stages of a growing baby come from stationary ...

The world is full of unusual unicellular organisms and microbes, many of which have not been discovered yet. In 2017, scientists identified a single-celled marine organism called Chromosphaera ...

Biologists have provided new insights on a longstanding puzzle in biology: How complex organisms arise from a single fertilized cell. Producing a new 'gene atlas' with 4-D imaging, the researchers ...

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 ...

Scientists are exploring ways to mimic the origins of human life without two fundamental components: sperm and egg. They are coaxing clusters of stem cells – programmable cells that can transform into ...

Researchers have discovered a key transition in early embryonic development is facilitated by decreasing levels of a viral protein inserted into the DNA of our early animal ancestors. Researchers at ...

Until a few hundred years ago, before scientific advances allowed researchers to peer inside the human body or extract cells to study them in the laboratory, I imagine that the mysteries of ...

Seals give birth only when conditions are right. After mating, a female seal can delay implantation of the embryo in the ...

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 ...