BACKGROUND Although laboratory procedures, along with culture media formulations,
have improved over the past two decades, the issue remains that human IVF is performed in …

Culture of preimplantation-stage embryos has always been a key element of laboratory
embryology and has contributed substantially to the success of many assisted reproduction …

Considerable advances in media development for the culture of preimplantation mammalian
embryos have been made since mouse embryos were first cultured and successfully …

The preponderance of research toward improving embryo development in vitro has focused
on manipulation of the chemical soluble environment, including altering basic salt …

Human oocytes are usually recovered from preovulatory follicles of women treated with
gonadotropins and gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue. The oocytes are usually …

The success of clinical IVF was initially compromised by sub-optimal culture conditions,
resulting in impaired embryo development (1–6) and a subsequent loss of viability …

Mammalian preimplantation embryos normally develop within the protected environment of
the female reproductive tract, which virtually precludes studies on embryogenesis in situ …

Improvements in culture media formulations have led to an increase in the ability to maintain
the mammalian embryo in culture throughout the preimplantation and pre-attachment …

The development of 1-cell mouse zygotes to the blastocyst stage in vitro has been used as a
quality control for the media employed for human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer …

Although in vitro production of embryos up to the blastocyst stage is now possible in
numerous species, the quality and quantity of embryos are still not satisfactory. Clearly …