The people behind the papers - Priscila Ramos-Ibeas and Pablo Bermejo-Álvarez

Symmetry breaking in ungulates occurs in a flat embryonic disc similar to that of humans, making it a potential model for studying early human development. However, it has previously been impossible to develop ungulate blastocysts in vitro to the symmetry-breaking stages. Now, a new paper in Development describes culture conditions that allow ungulate embryos to be developed in vitro through to early gastrulation. We caught up with corresponding authors, Priscila Ramos-Ibeas, Científico Titular at El Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), and Pablo Bermejo-Álvarez, Científico Titular at INIA, to find out more about their research and their future plans.