We study the cellular and molecular properties of mammalian gametes, embryos and stem cells, and relate these perspectives to cell functional characteristics.  More specifically, we're interested in the ways that culture affects embryo development, including gene expression. This information is important for improving success rates in human infertility treatment, as well as for producing animal embryos in vitro that can be transferred to suitable recipient females to help endangered species survival . These are two applications of “Assisted Reproductive Technology.
Embryonic stem cells are derived from blastocysts, which themselves come from fertilized eggs.  We expect that defects in eggs are transmitted to stem cells. We know that blastocysts produced in vitro from IVF eggs, exhibit lower developmental competence than embryos produced in vivo, this suggests that embryonic stem cells made from IVF eggs will have defects also. We're studying the continuum of properties from eggs to embryos to stem cells, using the rhesus monkey as our primary model species. Eggs are collected from female monkeys just like eggs are obtained from women for IVF. Blastocysts are grown in vitro using protocols very similar to those used for human IVF. We aim to characterize monkey stem cells to understand what determines a “normal” stem cell. This baseline can then be applied to human ES cells to determine the most promising lines for research.