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Goswami N, Winston N, Choi W, Lai NZE, Arcanjo RB, Chen X, Sobh N, Nowak RA, Anastasio MA, Popescu G. EVATOM: an optical, label-free, machine learning assisted embryo health assessment tool. Commun Biol 2024; 7:268. [PMID: 38443460 PMCID: PMC10915136 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05960-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The combination of a good quality embryo and proper maternal health factors promise higher chances of a successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure leading to clinical pregnancy and live birth. Of these two factors, selection of a good embryo is a controllable aspect. The current gold standard in clinical practice is visual assessment of an embryo based on its morphological appearance by trained embryologists. More recently, machine learning has been incorporated into embryo selection "packages". Here, we report EVATOM: a machine-learning assisted embryo health assessment tool utilizing an optical quantitative phase imaging technique called artificial confocal microscopy (ACM). We present a label-free nucleus detection method with, to the best of our knowledge, novel quantitative embryo health biomarkers. Two viability assessment models are presented for grading embryos into two classes: healthy/intermediate (H/I) or sick (S) class. The models achieve a weighted F1 score of 1.0 and 0.99 respectively on the in-distribution test set of 72 fixed embryos and a weighted F1 score of 0.9 and 0.95 respectively on the out-of-distribution test dataset of 19 time-instances from 8 live embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Goswami
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Beckman Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Nicola Winston
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Wonho Choi
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Nastasia Z E Lai
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Rachel B Arcanjo
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Xi Chen
- Beckman Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Nahil Sobh
- NCSA Center for Artificial Intelligence Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Romana A Nowak
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Mark A Anastasio
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Beckman Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Gabriel Popescu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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2
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Wakayama S, Kikuchi Y, Soejima M, Hayashi E, Ushigome N, Yamazaki C, Suzuki T, Shimazu T, Yamamori T, Osada I, Sano H, Umehara M, Hasegawa A, Mochida K, Yang LL, Emura R, Kazama K, Imase K, Kurokawa Y, Sato Y, Higashibata A, Matsunari H, Nagashima H, Ogura A, Kohda T, Wakayama T. Effect of microgravity on mammalian embryo development evaluated at the International Space Station. iScience 2023; 26:108177. [PMID: 38107876 PMCID: PMC10725056 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian embryos differentiate into the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm at the 8-16 cell stage. The ICM forms a single cluster that develops into a single fetus. However, the factors that determine differentiation and single cluster formation are unknown. Here we investigated whether embryos could develop normally without gravity. As the embryos cannot be handled by an untrained astronaut, a new device was developed for this purpose. Using this device, two-cell frozen mouse embryos launched to the International Space Station were thawed and cultured by the astronauts under microgravity for 4 days. The embryos cultured under microgravity conditions developed into blastocysts with normal cell numbers, ICM, trophectoderm, and gene expression profiles similar to those cultured under artificial-1 g control on the International Space Station and ground-1 g control, which clearly demonstrated that gravity had no significant effect on the blastocyst formation and initial differentiation of mammalian embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Wakayama
- Advanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Kikuchi
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Mariko Soejima
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Erika Hayashi
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Natsuki Ushigome
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | | | - Tomomi Suzuki
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba 305-8505, Japan
| | - Toru Shimazu
- Space Utilization Promotion Department, Japan Space Forum, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
| | - Tohru Yamamori
- Space Utilization Promotion Department, Japan Space Forum, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
| | - Ikuko Osada
- Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
| | - Hiromi Sano
- Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
| | - Masumi Umehara
- Advanced Engineering Services Co., Ltd, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0032, Japan
| | - Ayumi Hasegawa
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Keiji Mochida
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Li Ly Yang
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Rina Emura
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Kousuke Kazama
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Kenta Imase
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Yuna Kurokawa
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Sato
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | | | - Hitomi Matsunari
- Laboratory of Developmental Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Japan
- Meiji University International Institute for Bio-Resource Research (MUIIBR), Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nagashima
- Laboratory of Developmental Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Japan
- Meiji University International Institute for Bio-Resource Research (MUIIBR), Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Atsuo Ogura
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Takashi Kohda
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Teruhiko Wakayama
- Advanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
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Kikuchi Y, Ito D, Wakayama S, Ooga M, Wakayama T. Time-lapse observation of mouse preimplantation embryos using a simple closed glass capillary method. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19893. [PMID: 37963931 PMCID: PMC10646084 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47017-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Time-lapse observation is a popular method for analyzing mammalian preimplantation embryos, but it often requires expensive equipment and skilled techniques. We previously developed a simply and costly embryo-culture system in a sealed tube that does not require a CO2 incubator. In the present study, we developed a new time-lapse observation system using our previous culture method and a glass capillary. Zygotes were placed in a glass capillary and sunk in oil for observation under a stereomicroscope. Warming the capillary using a thermoplate enabled most of the zygotes to develop into blastocysts and produce healthy offspring. This time-lapse observation system captured images every 30 min for up to 5 days, which confirmed that the developmental speed and quality of the embryos were not affected, even with fluorescence. Overall, this new system is a simple time-lapse observation method for preimplantation embryos that does not require dedicated machines and advanced techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuyuki Kikuchi
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, 400-8510, Japan
| | - Daiyu Ito
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, 400-8510, Japan
| | - Sayaka Wakayama
- Advanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, 400-8510, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Ooga
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, 400-8510, Japan
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Teruhiko Wakayama
- Advanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, 400-8510, Japan.
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Habibey R. Incubator-independent perfusion system integrated with microfluidic device for continuous electrophysiology and microscopy readouts. Biofabrication 2023; 15. [PMID: 36652708 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/acb466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Advances in primary and stem cell derived neuronal cell culture techniques and abundance of available neuronal cell types have enabledin vitroneuroscience as a substantial approach to modelin vivoneuronal networks. Survival of the cultured neurons is inevitably dependent on the cell culture incubators to provide stable temperature and humidity and to supply required CO2levels for controlling the pH of culture medium. Therefore, imaging and electrophysiology recordings outside of the incubator are often limited to the short-term experimental sessions. This restricts our understanding of physiological events to the short snapshots of recorded data while the major part of temporal data is neglected. Multiple custom-made and commercially available platforms like integrated on-stage incubators have been designed to enable long-term microscopy. Nevertheless, long-term high-spatiotemporal electrophysiology recordings from developing neuronal networks needs to be addressed. In the present work an incubator-independent polydimethylsiloxane-based double-wall perfusion chamber was designed and integrated with multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) electrophysiology and compartmentalized microfluidic device to continuously record from engineered neuronal networks at sub-cellular resolution. Cell culture media underwent iterations of conditioning to the ambient CO2and adjusting its pH to physiological ranges to retain a stable pH for weeks outside of the incubator. Double-wall perfusion chamber and an integrated air bubble trapper reduced media evaporation and osmolality drifts of the conditioned media for two weeks. Aligned microchannel-microfluidic device on MEA electrodes allowed neurite growth on top of the planar electrodes and amplified their extracellular activity. This enabled continuous sub-cellular resolution imaging and electrophysiology recordings from developing networks and their growing neurites. The on-chip versatile and self-contained system provides long-term, continuous and high spatiotemporal access to the network data and offers a robustin vitroplatform with many potentials to be applied on advanced cell culture systems including organ-on-chip and organoid models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouhollah Habibey
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Ernst-Abbe-Straße 2, D-53127 Bonn, Germany.,CRTD-Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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5
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Bari MW, Morishita Y, Kishigami S. Heterogeneity of nucleolar morphology in four-cell mouse embryos after IVF: association with developmental potential. Anim Sci J 2023; 94:e13907. [PMID: 38102887 DOI: 10.1111/asj.13907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, around fertilization, the nucleolus of embryos transforms into the nucleolus precursor bodies (NPBs), which continue to mature until the blastocyst stage, leading to distinct morphological changes. In our study, we observed two types of nucleolar morphology in mouse in vitro fertilized embryos at the four-cell stage, which we refer to single nucleolus (SN) and multiple nucleoli (MN). To visualize nucleolar morphology, four-cell embryos were immunostained with anti-NOPP140 antibody. These embryos were categorized into five types based on the number of blastomeres carrying SN: SN4/MN0, SN3/MN1, SN2/MN2, SN1/MN3, and SN0/MN4, with percentages of 13, 27, 21, 23 and 9, respectively. Next, using a light microscope, we divided the four-cell in vitro fertilized embryos without fixation into two groups: those with at least two blastomeres displaying SN (SN embryos) and those without (MN embryos). Notably, significantly more SN embryos developed into blastocysts and offspring at 18.5 dpc compared with MN embryos. Furthermore, SN embryos displayed a higher NANOG-positive cell number at the blastocyst stage, significantly lower body and placental weights, resulting in a higher fetal/placental ratio. These findings suggest a close association between nucleolar state at the four-cell stage and subsequent developmental potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Wasim Bari
- Department of Integrated Applied Life Science, Integrated Graduate School of Medicine, Engineering, and Agricultural Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Japan
| | - Yoshiya Morishita
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Integrated Graduate School of Medicine, Engineering, and Agricultural Sciences, University of Yamanashi Kofu, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kishigami
- Department of Integrated Applied Life Science, Integrated Graduate School of Medicine, Engineering, and Agricultural Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Integrated Graduate School of Medicine, Engineering, and Agricultural Sciences, University of Yamanashi Kofu, Japan
- Center for advanced Assisted Reproductive Technologies, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Japan
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6
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Wakayama S, Soejima M, Kikuchi Y, Hayashi E, Ushigome N, Hasegawa A, Mochida K, Suzuki T, Yamazaki C, Shimazu T, Sano H, Umehara M, Matsunari H, Ogura A, Nagashima H, Wakayama T. Development of a new device for manipulating frozen mouse 2-cell embryos on the International Space Station. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270781. [PMID: 36206235 PMCID: PMC9543944 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether mammalian embryos develop normally under microgravity remains to be determined. However, embryos are too small to be handled by inexperienced astronauts who orbit Earth on the International Space Station (ISS). Here we describe the development of a new device that allows astronauts to thaw and culture frozen mouse 2-cell embryos on the ISS without directly contacting the embryos. First, we developed several new devices using a hollow fiber tube that allows thawing embryo without practice and observations of embryonic development. The recovery rate of embryos was over 90%, and its developmental rate to the blastocyst were over 80%. However, the general vitrification method requires liquid nitrogen, which is not available on the ISS. Therefore, we developed another new device, Embryo Thawing and Culturing unit (ETC) employing a high osmolarity vitrification method, which preserves frozen embryos at −80°C for several months. Embryos flushed out of the ETC during thawing and washing were protected using a mesh sheet. Although the recovery rate of embryos after thawing were not high (24%-78%) and embryonic development in ETC could not be observed, thawed embryos formed blastocysts after 4 days of culture (29%-100%) without direct contact. Thus, this ETC could be used for untrained astronauts to thaw and culture frozen embryos on the ISS. In addition, this ETC will be an important advance in fields such as clinical infertility and animal biotechnology when recovery rate of embryos were improved nearly 100%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Wakayama
- Advanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
- * E-mail: (SW); (TW)
| | - Mariko Soejima
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Kikuchi
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Erika Hayashi
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Natsuki Ushigome
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Ayumi Hasegawa
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Keiji Mochida
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | | | - Toru Shimazu
- Space Utilization Promotion Department, Japan Space Forum, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromi Sano
- Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masumi Umehara
- Advanced Engineering Services Co., Ltd, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hitomi Matsunari
- Laboratory of Developmental Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Japan
- Meiji University International Institute for Bio-Resource Research (MUIIBR), Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Atsuo Ogura
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nagashima
- Laboratory of Developmental Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Japan
- Meiji University International Institute for Bio-Resource Research (MUIIBR), Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Teruhiko Wakayama
- Advanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
- * E-mail: (SW); (TW)
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