Fertilization News and Research

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Mothers pass on the legacy of stress exposure to future generations

A mother's response to stress can even influence her grandchildren. Biologists at the University of Iowa found that roundworm mothers subjected to heat stress passed, under certain conditions and through modifications to their genes, the legacy of that stress exposure not only to their offspring but even to their offspring's children.

13 Oct 2021

Using genetic screening for selecting the 'best' embryo in IVF

Each year, tens of thousands of babies are born in the United States as the result of IVF (in vitro fertilization) – where several eggs are fertilized outside the mother's body and then an embryo is selected for transfer into her womb.

12 Oct 2021

Researcher calls for a broader and more inclusive definition of infertility

Academy Research Fellow Jukka Kekäläinen from the University of Eastern Finland calls for a broader and more inclusive definition of infertility in a recent opinion piece published in the journal Human Reproduction last week.

7 Oct 2021

Collins’ skillful piloting helped NIH steer clear of political minefields

It's remarkable that the reputation of the National Institutes of Health has remained mostly intact through the covid-19 pandemic, even as other federal science agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have come under partisan fire.

6 Oct 2021

Scientists create a novel cell model for understanding human development

The earliest moments of human development—between the time of fertilization and when the embryo implants in the womb—have remained opaque to scientists.

9 Sep 2021

Optimized strategy for generating male germ-cells from mouse pluripotent stem cells

For species that rely on sexual reproduction, including mice and men, offspring can only happen if sperm from the male fertilize eggs from the female.

7 Sep 2021

Growing wheat varieties with biological nitrification inhibition trait could increase yields

An international collaboration has discovered and transferred to elite wheat varieties a wild-grass chromosome segment that causes roots to secrete natural inhibitors of nitrification, offering a way to dial back on heavy fertilizer use for wheat and to reduce the crop's nitrogen leakage into waterways and air, while maintaining or raising its productivity and grain quality, says a new report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

2 Sep 2021

Study discovers lagging chromosomes as one of the major causes of infertility

Why do women over 35 have more difficulty getting pregnant? After discovering one of the causes of age-related female infertility, researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre suggest that it will be possible in the future to improve the quality of the eggs of older patients by intervening on the cell cycle level.

23 Aug 2021

Researchers identify key protein that plays an essential role in male fertility

Mammalian sperm cannot fertilize an egg from the get-go. It's an ability acquired only after insemination, during passage through the female reproductive tract, and requires two consecutive, time-sensitive processes to provide sperm with the physical and biochemical traits necessary to complete their fundamental job.

20 Aug 2021

Study reveals mechanism behind male infertility caused by autoimmune disease

Investigators have found that the absence of autoimmune regulator (Aire) in mice results in fertility problems similar to those affecting men with autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type I (APS-1).

19 Aug 2021

Feinstein Institutes awarded $2.9 million NIH funding for polygenic embryo selection studies

Genetic testing and selection of embryos generated from in vitro fertilization have given rise to the controversial “designer baby” debate.

4 Aug 2021

Eggs and embryos go through a more dynamic and complex journey than previously thought

The journey of the egg and the embryo through the fallopian tube or oviduct toward the uterus is not well understood, mainly because it is inaccessible for direct imaging.

14 Jul 2021

Study finds higher risk of pre-eclampsia, hypertension in pregnancies derived from frozen embryos

A large cohort study drawn from the national IVF registry of France, which included almost 70,000 pregnancies delivered after 22 weeks gestation between 2013 and 2018, has found a higher risk of pre-eclampsia and hypertension in pregnancies derived from frozen-thawed embryos.

30 Jun 2021

Higher risk of preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension as a result of embryo freezing for IVF

Researchers have established a strong association between the risk of developing hypertension and the artificial cycle for frozen-thawed embryo transfer.

30 Jun 2021

Discovery opens door to new diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for male infertility

Scientists at The University of Toledo discovered new movement in sperm that provides innovative avenues for diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for male infertility.

28 Jun 2021

Nanotechnology and artificial intelligence may be valuable components in securing global food production

An international team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Birmingham, UK, developed a series of steps to follow that could harness AI and integrate the power of nanomaterials safely, sustainably and responsibly, into agricultural practices..

24 Jun 2021

New chip mimicking bovine endometrium could play key role in cattle’s pregnancy success

To investigate factors that can jeopardize pregnancy success in cattle, researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil used a kind of chip to mimic the environment of the endometrium, the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus.

8 Jun 2021

Beckman Coulter launches new Access AMH Advanced assay to predict poor ovarian response

Beckman Coulter, a global leader in diagnostics and infertility testing, announced today the launch of the first and only test that uses a validated cut-off to aid in the assessment of ovarian response.

7 Jun 2021

Zebrafish study shows how early exposure to cannabinoids reduces later neural activity

Zebrafish exposed to the leading cannabinoids found in cannabis in the earliest stages of development suffer a significant drop in neural activity later in life, according to a University of Alberta study that has implications for prenatal development in humans.

2 Jun 2021

Researchers review 50 years of progress in women's health

Debates over women's health have long been contentious, but have also resulted in significant improvements in areas like equitable access to health care and survivorship. But the overall picture remains far from perfect.

31 May 2021