Ryuzo Yanagimachi receives the prestigious Kyoto Prize

The comment by Yanagimachi was updated on June 19, 2023

Ryuzo Yanagimachi, a reproductive embryologist and a graduate of Hokkaido University, will receive the Kyoto Prize for his contributions to the elucidation of fertilization mechanisms and the establishment of micro-insemination technology. Founded in 1984 by Kazuo Inamori, the Kyoto Prize is an international award that honors individuals who have made significant contributions in the fields of science and technology, as well as arts and philosophy. Several laureates of the Kyoto Prize have later been awarded the Nobel Prize. The Inamori Foundation announced this year’s laureates in three categories, Advanced Technologies, Basic Science, and Arts and Philosophy, on June 16th, and Yanagimachi was named in the category of Advanced Technology.

Ryuzo Yanagimachi visited Hokkaido University’s School of Science in 2022. (Photo courtesy of Like! Hokudai)

Yanagimachi received his D.Sc. in animal embryology at Hokkaido University in 1960. He was a Research Associate at the School of Science, Hokkaido University, from 1964 to 1966, before moving to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. For decades, he pursued his academic career in Anatomy & Reproductive Biology at the University’s John A. Burns School of Medicine. In 1999, he became the Director of the Institute for Biogenesis Research at the University and is now a Professor Emeritus. In 2002, Yanagimachi was bestowed an honorary degree by Hokkaido University.

Throughout his career, Yanagimachi and his team made significant contributions to the development of livestock farming and human-assisted reproductive technology (ART). In particular, he established a reproducible method for in vitro fertilization (IVF) in mammals, which also advanced the development of IVF technology in humans. He is also known for developing and improving a method called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which directly injects sperm into egg cytoplasm to achieve fertilization. His team also successfully created cloned mice by transferring somatic cell nuclei into egg cells. 

On being selected for the Kyoto Prize, Yanagimachi commented: “I understand that this award is a recognition of the long, hard work by all of my former students, associates and friends who worked hard with me to better understand the process and mechanism of mammalian fertilization, some of which happened to bear practical implications.” He also added a message to young fellows: “Science is not a job. It is a passion.”

The prize presentation ceremony will be held at the Kyoto International Conference Center on November 10th, and related events honoring the Kyoto Prize laureates will also be held in San Diego, California, and at the University of Oxford, in March and May 2024, respectively.

Ryuzo Yanagimachi talks about his memories at Hokkaido University and his research history. (With English subtitles, recorded in 2022. Source: School of Science’s YouTube channel.)

Written by Naoki Namba

Related link:

The Kyoto Prize website

https://www.kyotoprize.org/en/laureates/ryuzo_yanagimachi/