Research and publications
Find out what we have been doing to improve our clinical practice and fundamental understanding of reproductive biology.
Our founders, including the pioneering embryologist Jean Purdy, invented IVF and established Bourn Hall, a clinic dedicated to bringing hope to the infertile around the globe. The ground-breaking birth of Louise Brown followed over two decades of meticulous research by Professor Sir Robert Edwards, Mr. Patrick Steptoe, and Jean Purdy.
Their profound understanding of human reproductive biology, achieved through tireless dedication, paved the way for advanced assisted conception treatments like IVF. Steptoe and Edwards, along with Purdy, established the world's first IVF clinic at Bourn Hall, where they continued to innovate and develop the field.
Driven by an unwavering commitment to advancing reproductive science, they shared their knowledge and expertise globally and relentlessly pursued deeper understanding. Our legacy of research endures today, encompassing two primary branches: Clinical Research, focused on enhancing outcomes for our patients, and Fundamental Research, dedicated to unravelling the intricate mechanisms of biology. Through these endeavours, we aspire to introduce novel therapies and techniques that will help countless individuals build their families.
Our philosophy of continuous improvement, our highly skilled people and experience of over 30 years gives us the ability to analyse large data sets to identify areas for improvement in our practice.
We publish our findings regularly in peer-review journals and present our work at national and international conferences.
We also constantly monitor what other groups are doing and after careful internal review adopt new developments that we think can contribute to improved outcomes for our patients.
Although a lot is known about human reproduction there is still much to find out. Detailed understanding of how cells divide and early embryos grow and how the embryo and the lining of the uterus interact in order to achieve and maintain a pregnancy is essential if we are to develop new treatments in the future.
Advances in molecular and cell biology provide opportunities for sophisticated analysis of the molecular and genetic mechanisms that regulate the viability of gametes and embryos. We have taken the unique opportunity to collaborate with several internationally renowned research teams in Cambridge, London, Leeds and Germany. This access to advanced cutting-edge expertise and technology means that any gamete or embryo donated for research will be used to its maximum potential in order to make a significant contribution to our understanding of early embryo development. Overlapping avenues of research now yield significant insight into pathways and mechanisms of embryonic development that have not previously been accessible to research.
Bourn Hall currently collaborates with the following research centres:
- Francis Crick Institute, London
- Wellcome Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Cambridge
- University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research
- University of Cambridge Department of Pathology
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cell Signalling Laboratory
All research on embryos is carried out under a license from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, after approval from Bourn Hall’s Ethics Committee as well as London, Leeds and Cambridge Local Research Ethics Committees. Research license information can be found on the HFEA website, under ‘Human embryo research we have approved’
Every healthy gamete and embryo retrieved or generated during any treatment cycle is used firstly for treatment. In the normal course of events, there will be surplus sperm that is not required for treatment, as well as oocytes that fail to mature or fertilise, and unhealthy or abnormal embryos that are not suitable for transfer or freezing. This material provides a very valuable resource for research, allowing us to investigate the mechanisms that can (and do) go wrong during in vitro embryo development and the first stages of implantation.
Healthy embryos that have been frozen and are no longer required due to completion of the family or other reasons, are another valuable resource for investigations into embryo metabolism, the way genetic material is expressed and the mechanisms that lead to implantation.
Embryos that develop in culture to the blastocyst stage (on day five or six of culture) contain cells that can develop into many different types of cell. These are known as stem cells. Molecular biology techniques allow these cells to be analysed in order to gain valuable information about the processes involved in survival and differentiation of early embryonic cells, as well as causes of miscarriage.
Embryos donated for research are allocated to one of our collaborating research centres. Every gamete or embryo donated for research makes a valuable contribution to our work, and is greatly appreciated. The information gained from scientific studies may not only help us to improve fertility treatment, understand the origin of defects and avoid miscarriage, but also lead to development of new research tools that can help find cures for many serious disorders.
All of our research collaborations are licensed by our regulatory body, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, and subjected to independent ethical committee review. Research involving unfertilized oocytes or sperm must be approved by local Research Ethics Committees, but does not require a license from the HFEA.
Our research proramme investigating the development of immature oocytes in carried out in collaboration with Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Department of Meiosis in Mammalian Oocytes.
The HFEA consider hands on techniques such a vital part of a scientist’s training that they have created specific areas in their consent forms to permit you to do this.
The form allows for individual consent to the use of sperm, eggs, and embryos (which will need both sperm and egg providers consent).
You are free to choose any combination and you are under no obligation to donate. Any donations are extremely precious to us and even having the opportunity to use just a few samples will enhance our training programme and the experience of trainee embryologists.
Typical applications will involve:
- Sperm: practice semen analysis, preparation, and storage.
- Oocyte: routine manipulations including pipetting, transferring from dish to dish, storage,
- ICSI (but NOT injecting sperm).
- Embryos: routine manipulations, transferring from dish to dish and embryo grading comparison, embryo biopsy (the removal of a small number of cells) embryo cryopreservation and thawing (but NOT long-term storage).
Occasionally samples may be used by trained embryologists practising new techniques that may go on to improve the overall success of the IVF process.
Publications
Journal publications
Our research has been published in more than 100 peer review publications in a range of scientific and medical journals.
Books
We have contributed to a range of specialist fertility books over the past 30 years.
Poster presentations
Our staff have given poster presentations and oral presentations at many fertility conferences.
Current collaborative projects
Further details about our current research collaborations, together with what’s involved in donating embryos to research, can be found in our Patient Information and Consent forms via the links below.
Furthering our understanding of early human development for the generation of stem cells
Meiosis in unfertilised human oocytes
Research & publications contact
We’re always keen to hear from those in the scientific and medical community to further our research.
Please get in touch with Dr Kay Elder if you have any questions about our research projects, or would like further information or copies of journal publications.
We also welcome enquiries from academic research units that would like to discuss the possibility of initiating collaborative research projects
Frequently asked questions
If you have any unanswered questions or concerns, please contact the embryology team.
No, the samples will not be anonymised. Because you are free to remove your consent to training at any point (up until the material has been used) we need to be able to identify them at all times.
No your samples will only be used for training, not research.
Yes, the embryology team are always available to answer any questions or discuss training.
Absolutely not, any gametes or embryos you donate will only be those surplus to, or unsuitable for use in your treatment.
Sperm samples are any that were not required after all the eggs had been inseminated or undergone ICSI.
- Eggs are those that have failed to fertilise 48 hours after insemination or ICSI or that were immature and not able to be used for ICSI.
Only embryos deemed unsuitable for treatment can be used for training purposes.
- Embryos are those that are of too poor a quality to survive the freezing and thawing process.
The decision to donate is entirely yours and it will not affect your treatment in any way.
Yes, the consent form provides options for the use of donor sperm, which will be adhered to. However, for embryo use, consent from both the sperm donor and the egg donor is required. You also have the option to impose specific restrictions on how your donations are used; these should be detailed in the training section of the HFEA forms.
You can withdraw or vary your consent at any time until the gametes or embryos have been used for training.
After the training, all donated sperm, eggs, and embryos will be allowed to perish.
Our fertility milestones
1978
The world's first IVF baby
1980
Year founded by IVF pioneers
25000
Babies born through Bourn Hall
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