RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering
Team Director: Hiroshi Kiyonari (Ph.D.)
Research Summary

Our major mission is to support a wide variety of needs in laboratory animal experiments at RIKEN Kobe Campus by providing animal housing services, technical assistance and technology development in genetics and reproductive biology. Additionally, we provide education and training of personnel to ensure proper conduct of animal experiments. In recent years, we are developing new laboratory animal models, such as Gekko, Suncus and Opossum. With the expertise in advanced developmental engineering and reproductive technology, our unit closely collaborates with Genetic Engineering Team to generate and distribute genetically engineered mice for research labs in RIKEN institutes and centers, as well as those in a larger domestic and international biomedical research communities.
Main Research Fields
- Molecular Biology & Genetics
Related Research Fields
- Biology & Biochemistry
- Neuroscience & Behavior
Research Subjects
- Advancement of technologies in reproductive biology
- In vitro development of early mouse embryos
Selected Publications
- 1.
Goto, T., Hagihara, M., Irie, S., Abe, T., Kiyonari, H., Miyamichi, K.
"Dietary Availability Acutely Influences Puberty Onset via a Hypothalamic Neural Circuit."
Neuron 2025 - 2.
Wang, Y., Cao, S., Tone, D., Fujishima, H., Yamada, R.G., Ohno, R.I., Shi, S., Matsuzawa, K., Yada, S., Kaneko, M., Sakamoto, H., Onishi, T., Ukai-Tadenuma, M., Ukai, H., Hanashima, C., Hirose, K., Kiyonari, H., Sumiyama, K., Ode, K.L., Ueda, H.R.
"Postsynaptic competition between calcineurin and PKA regulates mammalian sleep-wake cycles."
Nature 2024 636(8042):412-421 - 3.
Matsumoto, N., Miyano, M., Abe, T., Kashima, T., Kato-Ishikura, E., Inoue, KI., Liu, J., Kiyonari, H., Takeuchi, H., Ikegaya, Y.
"Generation of Dopamine Transporter (DAT)-mCherry Knock-in Rats by CRISPR-Cas9 Genome Editing."
Biol Pharm Bull 2024 47(2):394-398 - 4.
Abe, T., kaneko, M., Kiyonari, H.
"A reverse genetic approach in geckos with the CRISPR/Cas9 system by oocyte microinjection."
Dev Biol 2023 497:26-32 - 5.
Suita, K., Ishikawa, K., Kaneko, M., Wataki, A., Takahashi, M., Kiyonari, H., Sunagawa, G.A.
"Mouse embryonic stem cells embody organismal-level cold resistance."
Cell Rep 2023 42: 112954 - 6.
Bilgic, M., Wu, Q., Suetsugu, T., Shitamukai, A., Tsunekawa, Y., Shimogori, T., Kadota, M., Nishimura, O., Kuraku, S., Kiyonari, H., Matsuzaki, F.
"Truncated radial glia as a common precursor in the late corticogenesis of gyrencephalic mammals."
eLife 2023 12:RP91406 - 7.
Nishiyama, C., Saito, Y., Sakaguchi, A., Kaneko, M., Kiyonari, H., Xu, Y., Arima, Y., Uosaki, H., Kimura, W.
"Prolonged Myocardial Regenerative Capacity in Neonatal Opossum."
Circulation 2022 146: 125-139 - 8.
Kiyonari, H., Kaneko, M., Abe, T., Shiraishi, A., Yoshimi, R., Inoue, K. I., Furuta, Y.
"Targeted gene disruption in a marsupial, Monodelphis domestica, by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing."
Current Biology 2021 31, 3956-3963 e3954. - 9.
Abe, T., Inoue, K. I., Furuta, Y., Kiyonari, H.
"Pronuclear Microinjection during S-Phase Increases the Efficiency of CRISPR-Cas9-Assisted Knockin of Large DNA Donors in Mouse Zygotes."
Cell Reports 2020 31(7): 107653. - 10.
Kiyonari, H., Kaneko, M., Abe, T., Shioi, G., Furuta, Y., Fujimori T.
"Dynamic organelle localization and cytoskeletal reorganization during preimplantation mouse embryo development revealed by live imaging of genetically encoded fluorescent fusion proteins."
Genesis 2019 57(2):e23277.
Recent Research Results
Jul. 22, 2021
Genome editing meets marsupials
Related Links
Lab Members
Principal investigator
- Hiroshi Kiyonari
- Team Director
Core members
- Takaya Abe
- Technical Scientist
- Kenichi Inoue
- Expert Technician
- Mayo Shigeta
- Expert Technician
- Miho Sato
- Technical Staff
- Naoko Shimada
- Technical Staff
- Aki Shiraishi
- Technical Staff
- Hinako Takase
- Technical Staff
- Tomoko Tokuhara
- Technical Staff
- Yuka Nakatani
- Technical Staff
- Miwako Nomura
- Technical Staff
- Junko Hara
- Technical Staff
- Kana Bando
- Technical Staff
- Michiko Higashikawa
- Technical Staff
- Yoshino Matsumoto
- Technical Staff
- Anna Yasunaga
- Technical Staff
- Daisuke Yamamoto
- Technical Staff
- Riko Yoshimi
- Technical Staff
- Megumi Watase
- Technical Staff
- Xuchi Pan
- Research Associate
- Masayo Okugawa
- Assistant
- Mika Hikawa
- Assistant
Contact Information
2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku
Kobe, Hyogo
650-0047 Japan
Email: hiroshi.kiyonari@riken.jp