Latest Fertilisation Stories

Sperm cell release can be triggered by tightening the grip around the delivery organ, according to a team of nano and microsystems engineers and plant biologists at the University of Montreal and Concordia University. Concordia's nanobiotech team devised a microchip that enabled the University of Montreal biologists to observe what happened when pollen tubes – the sperm delivery tools used by plants – tried to negotiate a microscopic obstacle course. The pollen tubes were exposed to a...

Plasma protein fetuin-B regulates hardening of the zona pellucida and thus ensures the fertilization capacity of the ovum Scientists in Mainz and Aachen have discovered a new mechanism that controls egg cell fertility and that might have future therapeutic potential. It was revealed by Professor Dr. Walter Stöcker of the Institute of Zoology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) that the blood protein fetuin-B plays an important and previously unknown role in the fertilization of...

Eggs take a long time to produce in the ovary, and thus are one of a body's precious resources. It has been theorized that the body has mechanisms to help the ovary ensure that ovulated eggs enter the reproductive tract at the right time in order to maximize the chance of successful fertilization. New research from Carnegie's Allan Spradling and Jianjun Sun has shed light on how successful ovulation and fertilization are brought about by studying these processes in fruit flies. They found...

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online British officials are debating whether or not to legalize new in vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques that would eliminate dangerous hereditary diseases, but would essentially create a child from three different parents. According to the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), a public consultation in 2012 indicated UK citizens mostly support the use of the potentially life-saving technique, despite any safety or...

Researchers at Imperial and Warwick find molecules that appear to function abnormally in women who have suffered repeated miscarriages. Scientists have identified molecular signals that control whether embryos are accepted by the womb, and that appear to function abnormally in women who have suffered repeated miscarriages. The research, carried out at Imperial College London and the University of Warwick, suggests these signals could be targets for drugs that would help prevent...

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online Researchers from the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) have been able to create a new technique that limits inherited disorders in children. The ability of scientists to transfer the nucleus of a cell from one human egg cell to another was considered an important achievement, and results of the study were recently published in the online edition of Nature. In particular, the...

University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna An increasing number of men suffer from fertility problems, especially in western society. The general belief is that many problems may be related to stress but it is possible that some of them may arise because men simply have intercourse too infrequently. This is the intriguing implication of recent research at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, that has just been published in the international online journal PLoS ONE. Fertility...

Melbourne scientists studying the impact obesity has on pregnancy, are urging men to get ‘match fit’ before conceiving to assist with fetal development. Reproductive experts from the University of Melbourne’s Department of Zoology have discovered that a father’s obesity negatively impacts sperm, resulting in smaller fetuses, poor pregnancy success and reduced placental development. While the health risks surrounding obesity and pregnancy have largely been centered on overweight...

Watch the Video: Potential New Male Contraceptive Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online There are many contraception options for women, but until now, there has not been much done in the area of contraceptives for males. Now researchers believe that a small molecule that can move past the barrier between blood and sperm into a space where sperm is processed may become the future of male conception. The compound would be the first successful and hormone-free birth...

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online Sperm cells can look the same with a similar tadpole appearance. However, the cells showcase differences among the genes. Recently, researchers were able to capture an image of the varieties among genes which they say is particularly helpful in understanding the genome and male fertility. The research is featured in the July 20 edition of Cell, a Cell Press journal. The scientists believe that the methods used could help researchers...