The Embryo Biopsy Procedure - A View Under The Micromanipulator

Here are some images of the embryo biopsy procedure under a micromanipulator. The images are stage by stage replica to help you get an exact idea about how things work.

Fig 1. 7-cell embryo, on Day 3 after IVF, ready to be biopsied. It is held in place on a micromanipulator with a holding pipette.

Fig 2. The laser is used to create a hole through the shell ( the zona) of the embryo

Fig 3. The embryo biopsy pipette is introduced through this opening, and gentle suction is applied to dislodge a single cell ( a blastomere ) from the embryo .

Fig 4. The blastomere is being removed. You can see the nucleus of the blastomere ( the clear area in the center of the cell) clearly. This contains the DNA of the cell.

Fig 5. The embryo biopsy has been completed successfully !

Fig 6. The biopsied embryo is intact after the biopsy has been completed. This procedure is repeated for all the embryos.

Fig 7. The biopsied embryo is now returned to the incubator for further culture. The blastomere will now be analysed in the FISH lab.

Fig 8. The FISH probes are available as a "ready-to-use" kit from Vysis, USA.

Fig 9. FISH signals from a normal embryo. We know these are from a male ( XY) embryo as each has a orange signal ( orange dot) representing a single X chromosome, and a green signal, representing a single Y chromosome.

Once the results are known, which takes about 4-6 hours, only the normal embryos will be replaced into the mother's uterus.