Reproductive Engineering Laboratory

Reproductive Engineering Laboratory carries out research and development of technologies, instruments, and resources related to reproductive engineering. Major purposes include the collection, cryopreservation, and restoration of "original species" as the basis of the quality standards for laboratory animals, from creation to supply of the materials used in experiments, and the creation of new laboratory animals.
CIEA has been developing and improving reproductive engineering technologies for 40 years. For example, the cryopreservation technique of embryos was put into practical use in the 1980s for mice and in the 1990s for rats, and the Resource Bank was established in 1995 for strain preservation. Creation of genetically modified animals started in the 1980s for mice and in the 1990s for rats.

生殖工学研究室画像

Nowadays, we focus on research related to cryopreservation of germ cells, cultured cells, tissues, and micromanipulation for the creation of genetically modified animals. For example, a recently developed vitrification method and solution for embryos (of rats, mice, etc.) and ES cells (in primates, etc.) is generally used with the commercialized vitrification solutions P10 and PEPeS. In the research and development for automated micromanipulation, the Integrated Automatic Embryonic Manipulation System (IAEMS*) has been established using an automated and motorized manipulator and reproducible results have already been confirmed in DNA injection and ES cell injection in mice, as well as in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in rats and mice. As reproductive engineering is necessary for fields such as laboratory animal science, medical science, pharmaceutical science, and biology, we will continue with our research and development.

Integrated Automatic Embryonic Manipulation System

※References
  1. Establishment of an integrated automated embryonic manipulation system for producing genetically modified mice.
    Eto T, Ueda H, Ito R, Takahashi T, Watanabe T, Goto M, Sotomaru Y, Tanaka N, Takahashi R.
    Scientific Reports. 2021 Jun 3;11(1):11770.
  2. Development of blastocyst complementation technology without contributions to gametes and the brain.
    Hashimoto H, Eto T, Yamamoto M, Yagoto M, Goto M, Kagawa T, Kojima K, Kawai K, Akimoto T, Takahashi R.
    Exp Anim. 2019 Aug 14;68(3):361-370.
  3. Protocols for Cryopreservation and Rederivation of Rat Gametes.
    Takizawa A, Eto T.
    Rat genomics. 2019;2018:131-149.
  4. The intrauterine environment affects learning ability of Tokai high avoider rat offspring derived using cryopreservation and embryo transfer-mediated reproduction.
    Endo H, Eto T, Yoshii F, Owada S, Watanabe T, Tatemichi M, Kimura M.
    Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2017 Jul 22;489(2):211-216.
  5. Strain preservation of rats: vitrification of two-cell stage embryos for multiple inbred strains.
    Eto T.
    Cryo Letters. 2015 Mar-Apr;36(2):114-9.
  6. Strain preservation of experimental animals: vitrification of two-cell stage embryos for multiple mouse strains.
    Eto T, Takahashi R, Kamisako T.
    Cryobiology. 2015 Apr;70(2):150-5.
  7. A study on cryoprotectant solution suitable for vitrification of rat two-cell stage embryos.
    Eto T, Takahashi R, Kamisako T, Hioki K, Sotomaru Y.
    Cryobiology. 2014 Feb;68(1):147-51.
  8. Application of a new convenience gender sorting method for mouse spermatozoa to mouse reproductive engineering technology.
    Hashimoto H, Eto T, Suemizu H, Ito M.
    J Vet Med Sci. 2013 Feb;75(2):231-5.
  9. Comparative study of doses of exogenous progesterone administration needed to delay parturition in Jcl:MCH(ICR) mice.
    Hashimoto H, Eto T, Endo K, Itai G, Kamisako T, Suemizu H, Ito M.
    Exp Anim. 2010;59(4):521-4.

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