A new type of male contraceptive could be created thanks to the discovery of a key gene essential for sperm development. This could lead to alternatives to the conventional male contraceptives which rely on the production of hormones, such as testerone.

Scientists at the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick have shed new light on how sperm navigate the female reproductive tract, 'crawling' along the channel walls and swimming around corners; with frequent collisions.

Scientists of KIT and the University of Birmingham have identified relevant new functions of a gene that plays a crucial role in Fanconi anemia, a life-threatening disease.

A study in The Journal of Cell Biology describes how a secreted enzyme helps egg cells avoid being fertilized by more than one sperm.

Stem cells provide a recurring topic among the scientific presentations at the Genetics Society of America's 53rd Annual Drosophila Research Conference, March 7-11 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.