Source: Northwestern University | Summary: A stunning explosion of zinc fireworks occurs when a human egg is activated by a sperm enzyme, and the size of these 'sparks' is a direct measure of the quality of the egg and its ability to develop into an embryo. The discovery has potential to help doctors choose the best eggs to transfer during in vitro fertilization.
"A stunning explosion of zinc fireworks occurs when a human egg is activated by a sperm enzyme, and the size of these "sparks" is a direct measure of the quality of the egg and its ability to develop into an embryo, according to new research from Northwestern Medicine.
The discovery has potential to help doctors choose the best eggs to transfer during in vitro fertilization (IVF), the scientists said.
This is the first time the zinc sparks have been documented in a human egg.
"This means if you can look at the zinc spark at the time of fertilization, you will know immediately which eggs are the good ones to transfer in in vitro fertilization (IVF)," said Teresa Woodruff, one of the study's two senior authors and an expert in ovarian biology at Northwestern. "It's a way of sorting egg quality in a way we've never been able to assess before."
Woodruff is the Thomas J. Watkins Memorial Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and director of Northwestern's Center for Reproductive Science..."
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