Afshan McCarthy

Keywords human embryo embryogenesis development reproduction trophoblast placenta endometrium implantation in vitro model Introduction Implantation marks the initiation of pregnancy by establishing connections between the embryo and maternal uterus that are necessary for long-term intrauterine gestation.1 This process begins between the first and second week following fertilization, when the embryo adheres to the luminal epithelium of the endometrium that lines the uterine cavity.

Abstract Oocyte cytoplasmic lattices are critical for early embryo development but their composition and function are not fully understood. Mutations in PADI6, an essential component of cytoplasmic lattices, lead to early embryonic developmental arrest and female infertility. To investigate PADI6 function in mRNA storage, global protein levels, and lattice composition during early mammalian development we used single cell transcriptomics and proteomics methods to study two mouse models.

Abstract Meiotic and mitotic chromosome segregation errors in human development have been studied mostly prior to and at the time of fertilisation. Despite chromosomal errors being a leading cause of miscarriage and infertility, chromosome missegregation has not been extensively studied at later stages of human development. Here we optimised labelling, light-sheet live imaging and semi-quantitative analysis of human embryos and reveal chromosome segregation errors just prior to implantation.