A stem-cell biologist unravels the mysteries of development from a single cell to a complex human being and how this understanding can help fuel groundbreaking new fertility treatments. 35,000 first printing. - (Baker & Taylor)
"Embryologist Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz has spent two decades unraveling the mysteries of fetal development. By studying embryonic mouse cells, she witnessed the embryo's ability to rid itself of abnormal cells as it prepared for implantation in the womb.When Zernicka-Goetz became pregnant at 44, she received a call that took her by surprise: a sample test of the cells in her own placenta indicated that the fetus had trisomy-2, a disastrous extra copy of the second chromosome, which increased the risk ofmiscarriage or serious birth defects. It seemed likely that the best choice was to have an abortion. But the plasticity of the embryonic mouse cells in her studies gave her hope; if mouse cells were able to course correct, then perhaps human cells were capable of similar resiliency. Six months later, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and the experience inspired her to begin a series of studies to test this hypothesis. Her subsequent experiments with early human embryos and artificial "three parent" embryos were not only groundbreaking; they also proved that embryotic cells could be artificially nurtured through the trials and tribulations of their early development. To say that her work is controversial would be an understatement, but as Zernicka-Goetz notes, harm can arise as much from doing nothing as from taking risks. And with profound implications for stem cell research, infertility treatment, prenatal diagnostic testing, immunotherapy, and genetic engineering, not to mention women's reproductive health, the stakes have never been higher. At once thought-provoking and thoroughly moving, The Dance of Life sheds new light on how a simple fertilized egg becomes a complex human being"-- - (Baker & Taylor)
A renowned biologist's cutting-edge and unconventional examination of human reproduction and embryo research
Scientists have long struggled to make pregnancy easier, safer, and more successful. In The Dance of Life, developmental and stem-cell biologist Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz takes us to the front lines of efforts to understand the creation of a human life. She has spent two decades unraveling the mysteries of development, as a simple fertilized egg becomes a complex human being of forty trillion cells. Zernicka-Goetz's work is both incredibly practical and astonishingly vast: her groundbreaking experiments with mouse, human, and artificial embryo models give hope to how more women can sustain viable pregnancies. Set at the intersection of science's greatest powers and humanity's greatest concern, The Dance of Life is a revelatory account of the future of fertility -- and life itself.
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Grand Central Pub)
Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz is Professor of Mammalian Development and Stem Cell Biology at the University of Cambridge, where she runs a laboratory in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience. She is also a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College and a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow. She holds several patents related to diagnosis and treatment, and has published 117 papers in major journals such as Nature, Science, and Cell. She lives in Cambridge, UK.
Roger Highfield is an author, journalist, broadcaster, and Science Director at the Science Museum Group. He is also Visiting Professor of Public Engagement at the University of Oxford and University College London. Prior to his work at the Science Museum Group, he was the editor of New Scientist and the science editor of the Daily Telegraph. He has written or co-authored eight popular science books, and edited J. Craig Venter's autobiography, A Life Decoded (Allen Lane/Viking, 2007), which was shortlisted for the Royal Society's Science Book Prize. He lives in London, UK.
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Grand Central Pub)
Library Journal Reviews
Biologist Zernicka-Goetz (Univ. of Cambridge) and Highfield (director, external affairs, Science Museum Group) present the latest research on the unanswered questions surrounding the development of a human embryo. How does a tiny cluster of cells coordinate the precise timing of events that unfold as it develops? How do the cells both develop individually and cooperate with each other? The moment when cells begin to make choices, such as whether to become embryo or placenta, head or heart, is called symmetry breaking. The authors describe the early days of research on this phenomenon, including a vital contribution from computer scientist Alan Turing. Zernicka-Goetz discovered that symmetry breaking starts very early in development; in the mouse, at the two-celled stage. It took another ten years to determine the mechanism, based on the level of activity of a particular protein-coding gene in each cell. The authors also discuss issues surrounding using human embryos in research; genetic editing of embryos; and the implications of the research for infertility, prevention of birth defects, and regenerative medicine. VERDICT Of interest to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of human fertility and development.—Rachel Owens, Daytona State Coll. Lib., FL
Copyright 2020 Library Journal.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Developmental biologist and Caltech professor Zernicka-Goetz brings significant credentials in embryology to her debut, an uneven but illuminating popular science work. Zernicka-Goetz, writing in the first person with Highfield (Super Cooperators, coauthor), does a good job of describing the scientific process and the excitement of discovery, and of recounting the process behind her breakthroughs, such as identifying when and how the first cells in an embryo break symmetry, which allows differentiation and development to occur. Not neglecting her field's harsher side, she acknowledges the criticism this discovery initially received from skeptical fellow scientists, and credits the support of "family, friends, and colleagues" with allowing her to persevere until a refined lab test finally confirmed her finding. Zernicka-Goetz also describes how she, with her team, created a lab protocol that doubled the time in which human embryos could be studied in vitro, and how they greatly advanced the understanding of developing embryos' self-repair mechanisms. All of this science is understandably explained and graspable for nonspecialists. Unfortunately, the final chapter, on the struggles women face in science, is too abbreviated to do justice to such an important topic. Nonetheless, Zernicka-Goetz and Highfield's informative professional memoir has much to engage readers. (Feb.)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly.
