Developmental biology is the branch of biological sciences that investigates the processes by which organisms grow, differentiate, and acquire their form from fertilization to adulthood and often through regeneration and aging. It integrates molecular genetics, cell biology, genomics, and systems biology to elucidate mechanisms such as cell fate specification, pattern formation, morphogenesis, and organogenesis. Developmental biology examines regulatory gene networks, signaling pathways (e.g., Wnt, Hedgehog, Notch, TGF-β), epigenetic modifications, and mechanical forces that coordinate spatial and temporal control of gene expression and cellular behavior, providing a framework for understanding congenital disorders, tissue regeneration, and evolutionary changes in body plans.
Researchers in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources have developed a novel line of bovine embryonic stem cells, which have significant potential for a variety of new innovations, from lab-grown meat to ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 4, 2026
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Researchers at the School of Biological Sciences of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have uncovered how eukaryotic cells can control gene activity even after losing one of their major gene-regulatory systems during evolution. ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 2, 2026
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31
New research from the University of St Andrews has discovered a crucial piece in the puzzle of how all animals with a spine—including all mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians—evolved. In a paper published in BMC Biology, ...
Evolution
Feb 1, 2026
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41
DNA can be thought of as a vast library that stores all genetic information. Cells do not use this information all at once. Instead, they copy only the necessary parts into RNA, which is then used to produce proteins—the ...
Biotechnology
Jan 31, 2026
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266
Scientists have uncovered a 400-million-year-old genetic secret that gave spiders the ability to produce silk and weave their webs. Spiders didn't begin their journey on Earth in the same way as they are known today. Arthropods ...
Artificial intelligence allows tracing the evolution of genetic control elements in the developing mammalian cerebellum. An international research team led by biologists from Heidelberg University as well as the Vlaams Instituut ...
Evolution
Jan 29, 2026
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49
Early in development, many animals pick a team—male or female—based on their genetics, and, with time, acquire the characteristics to match. New research from the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) explores how one species ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 29, 2026
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28
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biology have discovered a remarkably streamlined strategy for developmental control in brown algae. They have shown that a single ARGONAUTE (AGO) protein orchestrates the transition ...
Ecology
Jan 29, 2026
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17
The recent discovery of glycoRNAs on the cell surface upended the world of cell biology. These glycoRNAs were found to form highly organized clusters with cell surface RNA binding proteins (csRBPs), but their purpose remained ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 28, 2026
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18
The architecture of the body is not encoded as a formal blueprint; rather, it's the tightly orchestrated activation and deactivation of genes that coordinate body development. Many of these processes are not fully understood, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 27, 2026
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