‘Frankensperm’ and Other Breakthroughs

Today in the journal Nature, reproductive biologists say they’ve reached a long sought-after goal in the field of male fertility. Japanese scientists were able to grow mature and fertile sperm in a test tube — and that sperm successfully joined with female egg cells and produced offspring.
Indeed, it’s been a exciting year for sperm. Big questions have been answered about possible causes of male infertility and future treatments, and we’ve unlocked some major mysteries about how sperm do their all-important job. Here’s a look at 5 of the most fascinating recent facts and findings on sperm and male fertility: