The very first beat: How a heart starts to pulse

One moment there’s nothing, the next... a heartbeat. As a vertebrate embryo grows, its heart tissue starts to pulse well before it’s needed. But how does the developing heart actually co-ordinate that very first beat? Using microscopes and glowing fluorescent proteins, researchers have been able to watch zebrafish embryos during this key point in development and examine the process in real time. Read the paper: For more stories like these sign up for the Nature Briefing: An essential round-up of science news, opinion and analysis, free in your inbox every weekday: