These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.
Because of medical and ethical challenges, there’s much we don’t know about the first few weeks of human embryo development, says biologist Jacob Hanna of Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science. Hanna’s team used naive stem cells treated with chemicals to nudge them into becoming four types of cells found in early embryos. One percent of the treated stem cells spontaneously formed a structure similar to a human fetus, which researchers allowed to grow for 14 days. While distinctly not human, the model is close enough to give researchers potential insights into fertility, miscarriage, and more, for the first time.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
