Mini Wombs

A fertilised egg has a 3- or 4-day journey ahead of it: destination womb. On arrival, the fertilised egg needs to attach to the womb’s inner wall (endometrium) – beginning the process of implantation. Failed implantation causes infertility. To investigate why it fails researchers seek lab-grown models called organoids that accurately mimic the endometrium. In this study, mouse womb tissue was dissociated into its component cells which were then grown in dishes designed to stop them sticking to the bottom. This encouraged cells to stick to each other and form organised structures (pictured). After a week, hormones and newly fertilised mouse eggs were added to these organoids, which were imaged in real-time. This footage revealed the fertilised eggs successfully going through the steps of implantation.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

Lux Fatimathas

Writer

Having pursued science through a career in research, communications and publishing, she is currently a writer and editor for a healthcare marketing agency and also juggles freelance science writing.

• Image from work by Taishi Fujimura and colleagues
• Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in Development, May 2025