C. elegans embryos are protected by a trilaminar eggshell that is thought to make the embryos impermeable to small molecules. Olson et al. describe the hierarchical assembly of the different eggshell layers but reveal that the permeability barrier is a distinct structure that lies in between the shell and the embryo surface.
Download our Journal Club pack to aid your discussion of Olson et al.’s study and its implications for the protection of early nematode embryos. The pack includes a complete PDF of the paper, a PowerPoint file of Olson et al.’s figures, supplemental videos, and the latest biosights video podcast, which features an interview with two of the study’s authors, Sara Olson (Pomona College, Claremont, CA) and Karen Oegema (Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, UC San Diego, CA).
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