New research from Barcelona and Dresden: Glycolysis — the process of converting sugar into energy — plays a key role in early development.

More than fuel: Glycolysis doesn’t just power cells — it helps steer them toward specific tissue types at critical moments in development.

Better embryo models: Stem-cell–based embryo models that rely on glycolysis form structures more similar to natural embryos.

Predict and control development in a dish: These findings improve our ability to predict and control how stem-cell-based embryo models will develop, unlocking further potential for biological discovery, disease modelling, and drug toxicity testing.