The zona pellucida (ZP) is an extracellular matrix that surrounds all mammalian oocytes,
eggs, and early embryos and plays vital roles during oogenesis, fertilization, and …

Modern genetics research has resulted in significant advances in cell in vitro microinjection
systems. Such systems provide biological and medical practitioners with high volume cell …

The causes of embryonic arrest during pre-implantation development are poorly understood.
Attempts to correlate patterns of oocyte gene expression with successful embryo …

Mammalian embryos are surrounded by an acellular shell, the zona pellucida. Hatching out
of the zona is crucial for implantation and continued development of the embryo. Clinically …

Fertilization by more than one sperm causes polyploidy, a condition that is generally lethal to
the embryo in the majority of animal species. To prevent this occurrence, eggs have …

Fifty years have passed since the findings of capacitation and acrosome reaction. These
discoveries and the extensive effort of researchers led to the success of in vitro fertilization …

During pre‐implantation development, the mammalian zygote transforms into the blastocyst,
the structure that will implant the embryo in the maternal uterus. Consisting of a squamous …

Oocyte quality is perhaps the most important limiting factor in female fertility; however, the
current methods of determining oocyte competence are only marginally capable of …

Measurement of oocyte and embryo biomechanical properties has recently emerged as an
exciting new approach to obtain a quantitative, objective estimate of developmental …

In recent years, cellular biomechanical properties have been investigated as an alternative
to morphological assessments for oocyte selection in reproductive science. Despite the high …