Blast Off

Life is always fragile. But in its first few moments, even observation can be lethal. To survive, an embryo must implant in the endometrial tissue of the uterus, nurtured by chemicals as it develops. But implantation can go awry, causing infertility, so here scientists explore new ways to study its delicate steps outside of the body. Using a mixture of a mouse’s endometrial cells (highlighted in red with their DNA in blue), the team successfully grow a living model – an organoid – that mimics the ‘apical’ (internal) surface of the uterus, where implantation occurs. Under a high-powered microscope, the researchers introduce embryonic cells and watch what happens next. The early cells, called blastocysts (green), successfully 'implant' in the organoid, showing similar chemical signs to the real thing. This model may now provide clues to equally delicate start in the life of human embryos.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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