Chicks to give scientists clearer picture of fetal development (Credit: Helen Downie)

14 November 2008, 12:00 pm

Scientists hope to gain a greater understanding of disease and birth defects with a new imaging database that will map the expression of genes that control development. This movie shows the pattern of genes that are switched on and off at different times and places during wing development of a chick embryo. The white areas show bone growth; the activity of genes involved in the formation of digits are shown in other colours. Comparing these images with the corresponding Mouse Atlas will help scientists understand which genes are important in embryo development. http://www.bath.ac.uk/news/2008/11/14/chick-atlas.html