Biochemical ‘DNA methylation’ marks are found across the genome in vertebrate animals, but in the early embryos of placental mammals, such as mice and humans, they are largely erased in a ‘system ...

The study published today reveals for the first time that the harmful effects of alcohol on fetal development aren't directly attributable to placental abnormalities. However, molecular changes, ...

Researchers have gained new insights into the mechanism behind the spatial organization of DNA within the cells of early embryos. When an embryo is first formed after fertilization, each cell has the ...

Over half of our genomes consists of thousands of remnants of ancient viral DNA, known as transposable elements, which are widespread across the tree of life. Once dismissed as the 'dark side' of the ...

Left: staining for H3K27me3, which marks inactive DNA, on a nucleus of a wildtype embryo consisting of two cells Right: staining for H3K27me3, which marks inactive DNA, on a nucleus of an embryo ...