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An Israeli laboratory has grown synthetic mouse embryos with a beating brain and heart — in an egg-free sperm-free procedure that uses stem cells taken from the skin. The breakthrough, published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal Cell, is the first time advanced embryos of any species have been made from stem cells alone, said cell biologist Prof. Jacob Hanna of the Weizmann Institute of Science told The Times of Israel. . Hanna, who led the research, said that previous efforts have only led to blastocysts, meaning structures formed early in mammalian development. Blastocysts have a fraction of the millions of more cells present in their embryos. “Excellent,” he commented. “No sperm, no eggs and no uterus, but we managed to get embryos formed from stem cells alone for up to eight days – a third of the gestational age of mice – with beating hearts.” He said the research could one day be used to grow artificial human embryo-like structures to produce cells for futuristic medical sol

MIT scientists have observed that when several starfish embryos spin to the surface, they are attracted to one another and spontaneously assemble into organized crystal-like structures. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers, colored by MIT News In the early stages, long before growing their signature appendages, starfish embryos resemble tiny beads, spinning in the water like miniature ball bearings. Now, MIT scientists have observed that when several starfish embryos spin onto the surface of the water, they are attracted to one another and spontaneously assemble into surprisingly organized crystal-like structures. Even more curiously, these collective “living crystals” can exhibit a peculiar elasticity, an exotic property in which the spinning of individual units—in this case, the embryo—creates much larger ripples throughout the structure. The researchers found this rippling crystal configuration can persist for a relatively long period