The Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center Laboratories
The Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center laboratories are state-of-the art. Laboratory staff strictly adhere to national standards for quality and safety. Our embryology and andrology laboratories form the technological core of the assisted reproductive technologies at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center.

The morning of egg retrieval, our physicians remove the eggs and store them in the embryology laboratory. At the same time, the andrology laboratory is processing the partner’s sperm. That afternoon, laboratory technicians combine the egg and sperm, either by injection, a process called ICSI, or by placing them in the same dish.

About 17 hours later, our fertility experts examine the egg to see if fertilization has occurred. If it has, the embryos are cultured in the laboratory until either Day 2, 3 or Day 5 (when they become blastocysts. Most embryos are transferred on Day 3, but in certain situations, such as a single embryo transfer, the transfer will take place on Day 5.

In addition to egg and sperm retrieval and processing, our laboratories are also equipped for culturing and cryopreservation (freezing) of embryos, including blastocysts and sperm.

 Learn more from Diane L. Wright, Ph.D., HCLD 
Director, Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center Laboratories

Procedures We Perform
We perform the following procedures under the strictest standards:

• ovulation induction
• intrauterine insemination
• in vitro fertilization (IVF)
• intracytoplasmic sperm inducation (ICSI)
• assisted hatching
• embryo cryopreservation
• semen cryopreservation
• blastocyst culture and transfer
• surgical sperm retrieval
• single embryo transfer
• preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)
  Learn more from Irene Souter, MD
  Director, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Program
• donor egg program
• donor semen program
• gestational carrier

Watch Our Procedures:

Embryo Biopsy Procedure After a hole is made in the zona pellucida, a single blastomere (cell) may be removed from the embryo to be used for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis Click here to watch.

Sperm Removal Procedure Prior to ICSI, a single sperm is selected, immobilized and then aspirated into the injection pipette. Click here to watch.

ICSI Procedure As the oocyte is held in place by the holding pipette, the injection pipette containing the sperm is used to penetrate the oocyte, aspirate cytoplasm, and deposit a single sperm into the oocyte. Click here to watch.

• The ongoing investigations of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis,
• The effects of environmental toxins on fertility and reproduction, and
• The effects of psychotherapy groups in reducing depression and improving family relationships in couples undergoing IVF treatment.

To participate in one of these clinical research programs, call: 1-617-726-8868.

To learn more information about environmental toxins and their effect on reproduction click here.

Advancing Basic Science
Even as they help couples overcome infertility, our physician/scientists continue to push the boundaries of knowledge about the causes of infertility and treatment options. Several research projects are currently underway that may one day make a difference in the lives of couples facing infertility.

• Finding the best sperm for IVF: Massachusetts General Hospital researchers are investigating a novel technique using microfluidic devices to identify the best sperm for in vitro fertilization. These techniques separate sperm based on their ability to find and penetrate eggs more efficiently. The technique involves using special chemical attractants to find the sperm most functionally viable for fertilization and then separating these sperm for use in IVF procedures.
• Advances in egg freezing: The cryopreservation (freezing) of human oocytes (egg cells) will one day allow women facing chemotherapy or other treatments that may damage their eggs to freeze their eggs in a laboratory for future use. Our researchers have published groundbreaking research showing that the microinjection of natural sugars dramatically preserves the survival of mouse oocytes for future fertilization. This research is now moving toward clinical trials that will study the effects of cryopreservation on human eggs.

Learn more from Thomas Toth, MD
Director, Vincent IVF Program

• Culturing and freezing embryos: While couples can now take advantage of methods to both grow embryos in the laboratory and freeze them for future use, our researchers are developing newer and improved media for both culturing and freezing embryos in the more advanced stages of development. This technology is closely tied to the new methods of single embryo transfer at the blastocyst stage.