Recent advances in critical nodes of embryo engineering technology

The normal development and maturation of oocytes and sperm, the formation of fertilized ova, the implantation of early embryos, and the growth and development of foetuses are the biological basis of mammalian reproduction. Therefore, research on oocytes has always occupied a very important position in the life sciences and reproductive medicine fields. Various embryo engineering technologies for oocytes, early embryo formation and subsequent developmental stages and different target sites, such as gene editing, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technologies, have all been established and widely used in industrialization. However, as research continues to deepen and target species become more advanced, embryo engineering technology has also been developing in a more complex and sophisticated direction. At the same time, the success rate also shows a declining trend, resulting in an extension of the research and development cycle and rising costs. By studying the existing embryo engineering technology process, we discovered three critical nodes that have the greatest impact on the development of oocytes and early embryos, namely, oocyte micromanipulation, oocyte electrical activation/reconstructed embryo electrofusion, and the in vitro culture of early embryos. This article mainly demonstrates the efforts made by researchers in the relevant technologies of these three critical nodes from an engineering perspective, analyses the shortcomings of the current technology, and proposes a plan and prospects for the development of embryo engineering technology in the future.