Researchers from the Babraham Institute have today published their latest work in the journal Cell Stem Cell describing a new subset of human embryonic stem cells that closely resemble the cells present at the genomic 'wake up call' of the 8-cell embryo stage in humans. This new stem cell model will allow researchers to map out the key genomic changes during early development, and help move towards a better understanding of the implications of genome activation errors in developmental disorders and embryo loss.