, June 4 -- Scientists in China are studying how life develops in space after mouse embryo samples brought back from the country's space station returned to Earth, in a step that could help future research on human reproduction during long-term space travel.

The samples were returned aboard the Shenzhou-22 on May 29 after completing experiments on China's space station. Researchers say the findings may provide important scientific clues about how early life forms behave in a microgravity environment.

The project was carried out by the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, focusing on how mammalian embryos develop before implantation in space, including possible damage to mitochondria an...