Scientists Create A Device That Can Mass-Produce Human Embryo-Like Structures
Researchers hope large numbers of very primitive, slightly incomplete human embryos will lead to new insights into early human development and ways to prevent miscarriages and birth defects.
Scientists have invented a device that can quickly produce large numbers of living entities that resemble very primitive human embryos.
Researchers welcomed the development, described Wednesday in the journal Nature, as an important advance for studying the earliest days of human embryonic development. But it also raises questions about where to draw the line in manufacturing "synthetic" human life.
Other scientists have previously created synthetic embryos, which are also known as embryoids. These entities are made by coaxing human stem cells about how similar to complete embryos they could and should be allowed to become.
