Uncovering the molecular determinants of successful implantation of the human blastocyst

High rates of failed implantation in human embryos represents one of the greatest obstacles in our ability to treat infertility. Significant improvements require significant advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms required for successful implantation and ongoing development. The goal of this funded project is to uncover the network of regulatory factors and cell-cell signals that control cellular differentiation, developmental progression and successful implantation during early human embryo development using both human embryo and stem cell-based in vitro models. These analyses will provide the first “ground truth” atlas for human embryos of high implantation potential—and for stem cells developed to model differentiation within the embryo--and essential first steps toward development of an in vitro model for human embryo implantation.