embryonic development

Researchers have developed artificial intelligence capable of interpreting the chemical signals, or epigenetic instructions, that determine what type of cell an embryo cell will become. The advance could deepen understanding of early development and birth defects, and raises ethical questions about how far AI should go in decoding the origins of human life.

Radio-Canada reports on new research suggesting the brain may have evolved from the fusion of two ancestral organs. The idea, tied to studies of embryonic cells, challenges the classic view of how the brain developed over evolutionary time and is drawing attention among French-speaking science and neuroscience audiences discussing its implications for biology and evolution.