Living cells in transparent embryos
Trinkaus used eggs and embryos of the killifish Fundulus heteroclitus as major experimental material. Their transparency permitted sustained observation in intact embryos. Photomicrography, staining, dissection and electron microscopy helped him examine how cells moved, changed shape and contributed to tissues.
References: [1]
How the blastoderm spreads
He concentrated on epiboly, the spreading movement of developing cell layers, and investigated relationships between the blastoderm and yolk syncytial layer. His identification and terminology for structures including the yolk syncytial and yolk cytoplasmic layers supported clearer comparisons of early fish development.
References: [1]
Cultured cells and intact embryos
Trinkaus compared cellular activity in cultures with that inside intact embryos, testing whether isolated-cell observations could illuminate morphogenesis. This connected cellular movement and interaction with larger tissue changes instead of interpreting development only through completed organs.
References: [1]
Yale, Woods Hole and a synthetic account
He earned his embryology doctorate at Johns Hopkins in 1948 and joined Yale that year, while maintaining a long association with summer research at Woods Hole. His Cells into Organs: The Forces That Shape the Embryo brought together problems of cellular and tissue movement. He continued research after retiring from teaching.
References: [1]