How egg cells and very early embryos rearrange their insides
Intracellular Remodeling during Early Development
Researchers are looking at how egg cells and the very earliest embryos reshuffle parts like the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and RNAs to support healthy development, which could help people facing fertility challenges.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Champaign, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11252306 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, the team will look inside egg cells and newly formed embryos to watch how internal parts like the endoplasmic reticulum, proteasomes, mitochondria, and RNA change shape and position. They will use high-resolution imaging and molecular laboratory techniques in model systems to track organelles and RNA behavior during the egg-to-embryo transition. The researchers will test whether changing ER or mitochondrial remodeling alters which cell types form in very early development. Although most work is lab-based, the goal is to reveal mechanisms that could eventually explain some causes of infertility and inform new therapies or diagnostics.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People most likely to benefit are those with egg- or early-embryo–related fertility problems, such as unexplained infertility or repeated IVF failure, and patients open to providing samples or joining future clinical studies.
Not a fit: Patients with health issues unrelated to reproduction or with infertility caused by well-defined genetic or structural problems not involving early embryonic cell remodeling are less likely to see direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new reasons why some eggs or embryos fail to develop and point to ways to improve diagnosis or support fertility treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Related imaging and molecular studies of embryos have advanced understanding of development, but focusing on organelle and RNA remodeling in the context of human fertility is a relatively new direction.
Where this research is happening
Champaign, United States
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — Champaign, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Jing — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Study coordinator: Yang, Jing
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.