Our reproductive lives differ greatly from those of our ancestors, thanks in part to medical innovations that have occurred over the past few decades.
Practices such as in vitro fertilization, donated eggs and sperm, uterine transplants, surrogacy and egg freezing mean that for many, there are now more choices than ever about having children.
However, despite this progress, one aspect of reproduction has remained constant: the need to carry (grow) embryos in the uterus.
But what might happen to our notions of parenthood if technology made it possible to grow embryos outside the human body?
Until recently, the idea of a fetus growing outside the body was just science fiction. But research teams in the United States, Australia and Japan have begun to develop artificial wombs. It is hoped that this technology will one day save the lives of premature babies.
Some animal experiments have already been conducted. Meanwhile, a team in the Netherlands is developing a similar system using simulation technology. This approach simulates the birth of extremely premature babies using a doll equipped with advanced monitoring devices and computer modeling. This allows researchers to understand how an infant develops in an environment that mimics uterine conditions.
Although this may be several decades away, artificial womb technologies could eventually lead to “complete exocytosis”, meaning the growth of the fetus from conception to “birth” entirely outside the human body, according to scientists from Lancaster University and the University of Sheffield.
Scientists explain that one of the barriers to research into the process of “full exogenesis” is current legislation around the world, which either prohibits embryo research completely or prohibits the development of human embryos for research for longer than 14 days.
Therefore, the scientific community seeks to change legislation so that this type of research can be conducted. But it is not known whether such a change would gain public support.
“Full exocytosis” raises important ethical, legal and social questions, which must be answered before it can be used, according to Stephen Wilkinson and Nicola Williams from Lancaster University, and Sarah Fauvargues from the University of Sheffield.
Artificial wombs may disrupt established norms around motherhood in more profound ways, since there will be no “mother” at all. The law will need to define who is the legal mother in such circumstances, and whether this definition applies to all mothers or only when using artificial womb techniques.
“Full externalization” may lead to more radical changes in the way we view legal paternity.
Artificial womb technology will also impact the personal decisions people make about childbearing.
Like egg freezing and artificial insemination, artificial wombs will enable women in particular to have children at an advanced age. It may also allow multiple fetuses to be carried at one time.
Artificial womb technology would make it easier for more people to have their biological children, including women who are unable to become pregnant for health reasons. This also means that women will no longer have to undergo the great risks and burdens associated with pregnancy and childbirth in order to have children.
Scientists say "full exogenesis" is still a long way off, but it's important to discuss it now so we can get a more informed view of the issues it raises.
As with many aspects of human reproduction, artificial womb technology can be controversial.
Some see the artificial womb as a way to increase reproductive autonomy and justice, while others see it as dangerous, or even a threat to traditional family values.
Scientists track the migration of white bears based on the DNA of their tracks
Ecologists have developed an approach to tracking the migration of polar bears using DNA in their tracks.
The movements of other animals can also be tracked in snowy areas of the Earth, including lynxes and snow leopards. This was announced by Melania Lancaster, Senior Researcher at the World Wildlife Fund's Arctic Programme.
European and American ecologists have developed an approach that allows them to track the migration of white polar bears using DNA fingerprints found in the tracks of these wild animals in the Arctic. This approach will allow a more accurate estimate of the number of polar bears in the Arctic. Scientists published an article in this regard in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science.
Melania Lancaster said that researching polar bears, let alone estimating their numbers, is one of the most expensive and difficult activities for ecologists. We hope that our approach will attract the attention of polar bear specialists and help them gather information more quickly and at a lower cost.
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) may become among the first victims of global warming as a result of the sharp decline in the extent of sea ice in the Arctic, where these wild animals usually obtain their food and spend a large part of their lives. In 2015, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed polar bears as vulnerable due to deteriorating habitat conditions, but accurate estimates of the number of animals are difficult due to problems in monitoring them.
Lancaster and her colleagues found that some polar bears and large groups of these Arctic wildlife can be monitored using DNA fingerprints found in their tracks. She said that polar bear tracks contain whole cells from these animals, whose DNA is much better compared to parts of their genome obtained from waste.
Taking all these considerations into account, the researchers collected samples from 24 polar bears living in northern Alaska and tried to isolate DNA fragments from them. They succeeded in this for the majority of samples (87.5%), allowing scientists to decipher the genomes of more than half of the animals, identify them and track their migration across the North American Arctic.
The researchers also conducted similar measurements, albeit less successfully, on Eurasian lynx populations living in Sweden, where scientists were able to detect DNA in the tracks of half the lynx and identify about a quarter of them.
Lancaster and her colleagues concluded that the successful completion of these experiments confirmed the possibility of using DNA in the tracks of wild boreal animals to monitor their migrations, as well as to estimate the number of these rare and endangered mammals.
An interesting take!
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