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Born on this Day Road to IVF

Pioneer of the science behind IVF born on this day

26 April 2022

Road to IVF

Born on this day in 1927, Dame Anne McLaren was a pioneering scientist studying how embryos develop. Her research laid the foundations of in vitro fertilisation (IVF); a technology that as of 2018 had helped an estimated eight million children be born. In the 1950s, her work proved that sperm and egg cells could be joined outside of the womb and generate a healthy embryo that could grow to term. McLaren’s influence extended beyond the lab as she was deeply aware of her research’s ‘controversial’ side. As a passionate advocate for carefully regulated research on early mammalian and human embryos, she was the only research scientist on the committee that led to the introduction of the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, in the wake of the birth of Louise Brown, the first ‘test tube baby’, in 1978. Her research, legacy and ethics continue to have a lasting impact on families and scientists worldwide today.

Written by Sophie Arthur

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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