Use of picosecond infrared laser for micromanipulation of early mammalian embryos.

A high repetition rate (80 MHz) picosecond pulse (approximately 2 psec) infrared laser was used for the inactivation (functional enucleation) of oocytes and two-cell mouse embryos and also for the fusion of blastomeres of two-cell mouse embryos. The laser inactivation of both blastomeres of two-cell mouse embryos by irradiation of nucleoli completely blocked further development of the embryo. The inactivation of one blastomere, however, did not affect the ability of the second intact blastomere to develop into a blastocyst after treatment.