Ancient viral DNA shapes early embryo development, study finds

Jan 20, 2025

Over half of our genomes consist of thousands of remnants of ancient viral DNA, known as transposable elements, which are widespread across the tree of life. Once dismissed as the "dark side" of the genome, researchers at Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) have now revealed their crucial role in early embryo development. The study is published in the journal Cell.