They see a microscopic flash at fertilization, a burst of fluorescence that marks a sudden release of zinc from the human egg. Scientists call this burst the "zinc spark," and they now see it as a ...

MEXICO CITY — When she walked into an IVF clinic in June, Alin Quintana knew it would be the last time she would try to conceive a child. She had prepared herself spiritually and mentally for the ...

MANY COUPLES struggle to conceive. Some are helped by IVF (in-vitro fertilisation). But if the woman has no usable eggs to fertilise, they must either give up or use a donor. Researchers have thus ...

Megan Molteni reports on discoveries from the frontiers of genomic medicine, neuroscience, and reproductive tech. She joined STAT in 2021 after covering health and science at WIRED. You can reach ...