According to a recent study published in Nature, scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel were able to grow mouse embryos in an artificial womb for several days.
Though the mice have yet to be fully gestated in a robotic womb, this research has some interesting potential applications. According to the New York Times, this experimentation could lead to a great understanding of early development and could have applications in fertility as well. And though it may seem far off in the sci-fi future, this also opens the door for the potential for human embryos to be carried to term outside a human body.
We sit down with New York Times medical reporter Gina Kolata and developmental biologist Paul Tesar to discuss the research and its potential implications.
Guests:
Gina Kolata, medical reporter at the New York Times, where her recent piece is “Scientists Grow Mouse Embryos in a Mechanical Womb”; she tweets
Paul Tesar, professor of genetics and developmental biologist at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; he tweets