This book covers diverse aspects of stem cell research and exemplifies some of the developments and improvements in the field.

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∼50% of fertilized eggs arrest during human pre-implantation development, representing a major bottleneck for assisted reproductive technology. The un…

The Crick Magazine, Spring 2026

This work describes how positive charge in the peptide chain flanking the DNA-binding domain of transcription factors speeds up their search on free and chromatinized DNA, helping to explain why some ...

This Review discusses the mechanisms underlying both cavitation and folding amniogenesis and provides an overview of the various recent stem cell-based human embryo models that have been developed to ...

Summary: This Review presents mechanical fracture as a unifying morphogenetic strategy and describes how developmental systems actively exploit mechanical fracture to drive morphogenesis, reproduction...

EMBL and its community are deeply saddened by the death of Peer Bork, the organisation’s Interim Director General.

Makwana, Tilley et al. generate human stem cell-based trunk-like structures approximating Carnegie stage 13–14 of development. They use them to model and study the development of the thoracic and lumbar trunk.

Benzinger et al. develop a chemo-optogenetic system for precise spatiotemporal control of morphogen production in vitro. Using light-controlled Sonic hedgehog expression, they recapitulate neural tube...

YouTube video by The Francis Crick Institute

The development of a zygote into a functional organism requires that this single progenitor cell gives rise to numerous distinct cell types. Attemp...

Our grants support and encourage the sharing of knowledge throughout the community by facilitating international collaboration, event attendance and the organisation of scientific meetings, conference...

Inge et al. show that human endoderm originates from two converging developmental routes with distinct dynamics and efficiencies yet similar developmental potential. Combinatorial activin and BMP4 sig...

We appoint researchers from across biology and biomedicine to set up their first groups at the Crick.

Brivanlou and colleagues used optogenetics to spatially control BMP4 expression in human stem cell models across different mechanical regimes. By combining these experiments with mathematical modeling, they dissected how biochemical signals and mechanical forces integrate to initiate symmetry breaking at the onset of gastrulation.

Protein ubiquitination regulates cell biology through diverse avenues, from quality control-linked protein degradation to signaling functions such as modulating protein-protein interactions and enzyme...

In February 2025, we were shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the death of Béla Novák, Professor in Integrative Systems Biology at the University of Oxford, UK, and a beloved grandfather, father...

PhD recruitment information.

Magdalene College is deeply saddened to announce the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS, who served as Master of the College from 1995 to 2002.

In 2014, Development organised the first of The Company of Biologists’ Journal Meetings: ‘From Stem Cells to Human Development’. Conceived to help bring together the developmental biology and stem cel...

Inge et al. show that human endoderm originates from two converging developmental routes with distinct dynamics and efficiencies yet similar developmental potential. Combinatorial activin and BMP4 sig...

ROS oxidize cell cycle proteins and regulate cell proliferation. Vorhauser et al. show that oxidation of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p21 at cysteine 41 (C41) during the G2 phase controls its stability. Loss of C41 oxidation increases p21 stability, impairs proliferation, and promotes senescence after irradiation.