Development of reproductive engineering techniques at the RIKEN BioResource Center

Abstract

Reproductive engineering techniques are essential for assisted reproduction of animals and generation of genetically modified animals. They may also provide invaluable research models for understanding the mechanisms involved in the developmental and reproductive processes. At the RIKEN BioResource Center (BRC), I have sought to develop new reproductive engineering techniques, especially those related to cryopreservation, microinsemination (sperm injection), nuclear transfer, and generation of new stem cell lines and animals, hoping that they will support the present and future projects at BRC. I also want to combine our techniques with genetic and biochemical analyses to solve important biological questions. We expect that this strategy makes our research more unique and refined by providing deeper insights into the mechanisms that govern the reproductive and developmental systems in mammals. To make this strategy more effective, it is critical to work with experts in different scientific fields. I have enjoyed collaborations with about 100 world-recognized laboratories, and all our collaborations have been successful and fruitful. This review summarizes development of reproductive engineering techniques at BRC during these 15 years.

Freezing sperm in short straws reduces storage space and allows transport in dry ice

“…An enormous number of genetically modified mouse lines has been generated through genome editing technology and large-scale mutagenesis/knockout and phenotyping programs [1, 2]. Additionally, individual laboratories have generated mice with genetic modifications of specific interest over the past several decades.…”

Comparison of the effect of two commercialized vitrification carriers on pregnancy outcomes in freeze–thaw cycles

“…9 With the popularization of vitrification and freezing technology, vitrification and freezing carriers have been developed and applied, further improving the effect of vitrification and freezing. This method uses many types of commercial [10][11][12] and non-commercial [13][14][15] vitrification carriers. Regardless of whether the embryos are directly in contact with liquid nitrogen when the embryos are stored in a liquid nitrogen tank after freezing, the carriers can be divided into three categories: fully open carriers, 16 open cooling and closed storage carriers, 17 and closed carriers.…”

Improvement of short straws for sperm cryopreservation: installing an air-permeable filter facilitates handling

“…Thus, maintaining and sharing genetically modified mouse lines in ready-for-use conditions would be valuable for the research community now and into the future. However, maintaining and shipping these mouse lines in a live state requires great labor, financial resources, time, and space [ 8 ].…”