Lab-grown models of embryos increasingly resemble the real thing
Embryoids promise many benefits, but pose tricky ethical questions
The traditional way to make an embryo is to combine a sperm cell with an egg, often after dinner and a bottle of wine. But a new way may be around the corner. In recent years scientists have discovered that they can persuade stem cells—those with the ability to transform into many other sorts of cells—to form structures that look and behave very much like embryos.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “When the map becomes the territory”
From the November 4th 2023 edition
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