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The researchers found ways to recreate a simplified version of gastrulation in a dish by starting with a layer of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, meaning they can differentiate to become any cell type in the body. Next, the scientists added a protein called BMP4, a key signaling molecule in gastrulation, which causes the cells in the box to begin forming the three layers of cells present in the embryo. All cells appear to receive the same BMP4 signal, however, some transform into one cell type while others become different cell types. When creating a gastrulation model, researchers observed that iPS cells contain proteins that are the building blocks of tight junctions. They also noted that tight junctions do not always assemble, and that tight junctions between adjacent cells appear to render cells impervious to BMP4 signals. To confirm the importance of tight junctions in gastrulation, the researchers used CRISPR genome-editing technology to suppress the production of TJP1, a protein crucial for tight junction formation in iPS cells. When they applied BMP4 to cells lacking the TJP1 protein, every cell was activated, not just the peripubic cells. This discovery forms the basis of a new method for efficiently producing these unique cells.