Characterizing inner pressure and stiffness of trophoblast and inner cell mass of blastocysts

It has long been recognized that mechanical forces underlie mammalian embryonic shape changes. Before gastrulation, the blastocyst embryo undergoes significant shape changes, namely the blastocyst cavity emerges and expands, and the inner cell mass (ICM) forms and changes in shape. The embryo's inner pressure has been hypothesized to be the driving mechanical input that causes the expansion of the blastocyst cavity and the shape changes of the ICM. However, how the inner pressure and the mechanics of the trophoblast and the ICM change during development is unknown, due to the lack of a suitable tool for quantitative characterization.

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