Leo Otsuki
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leootsuki.bsky.social
Leo Otsuki
@leootsuki.bsky.social
Group leader at the Hubrecht Institute, fascinated by tissue regeneration. Studies the axolotl, a vertebrate capable of regenerating entire limbs after injury, and uses the principles learnt to build 3D tissues in vitro. 🇳🇱🇦🇹🇬🇧🇯🇵
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
🔬 Limb regeneration depends on regenerative signaling center cells — but how do these cells influence others to proliferate, migrate, or differentiate?
We’re recruiting PhD or Postdoc candidates to explore this with our collaborator @osvaldo-chara.bsky.social !
October 21, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
Ready to establish your own research group at the Hubrecht Institute for Molecular and Developmental Biology? We’re seeking a tenure-track group leader to develop an innovative research line within our vibrant scientific community. Learn more & apply! https://f.mtr.cool/jncxfqkuds
September 26, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Grateful and excited to launch the Otsuki Regeneration Group at the Hubrecht Institute!
🔗 www.hubrecht.eu/research-gro...

We study how tissues regenerate - and use those principles to build 3D tissues in vitro.

Full announcement: www.linkedin.com/in/leo-otsuk...

@hubrechtinstitute.bsky.social
July 25, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
🧬 Looking for a PhD position in molecular or developmental biology? 🔬

✉️ The Hubrecht Institute now has its very own PhD program! Applications are open and will be accepted until September 15th. Read more here 👉 www.hubrecht.eu/hipp/
July 10, 2025 at 11:19 AM
I highly recommend signing up for this! I found it so informative and constructive. I owe a lot to Sumru and Mekayla, from answering my super-naive questions to advising on my proposal and setup last year. Thanks so much, you are treasures of the regeneration community!
Last two weeks to sign up for the Career Catalyst Mentorship Programme. Opportunities for 1:1 Mentoring. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
July 2, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Precise degradation of Retinoic acid (RA) determines which part of the limb a salamander regenerates. Congratulations to the team, expertly led by Tim Duerr in James Monaghan's group:
Retinoic acid breakdown is required for proximodistal positional identity during axolotl limb regeneration - Nature Communications
How axolotl salamanders know what portion of the limb to regenerate remains a mystery. In this article, the authors show that precise retinoic acid degradation is critical for instructing…
www.nature.com
June 16, 2025 at 6:01 AM
Axolotls accurately regenerate their limbs but frequently make mistakes during finger regeneration, which surprises me given their apparently simple structure. This study, led by Jackson Griffiths from James Monaghan's lab, dives deep into this fascinating paradox. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1....
A Characterization of Axolotl Digit Regeneration: Conserved Mechanisms, Divergent Patterning, and a Critical Role for Hedgehog Signaling
Axolotl digits offer an experimentally versatile model for studying complex tissue regeneration. Here, we provide a comprehensive morphological and molecular characterization of digit regeneration,…
www.biorxiv.org
June 9, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
We are really grateful and honored for this comment on our latest preprint! AND we share the spotlight with the Monaghan lab!
Thanks @woutermasselink.bsky.social and @dev-journal.bsky.social
In preprints: retinoic acid degradation and tissue stiffness coordinate axolotl limb regeneration

Wouter Masselink @woutermasselink.bsky.social‬ discusses two #preprints from the groups of James Monaghan and @tatianasg.bsky.social‬:
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
May 27, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
We are hiring a new PhD student in #Bioinformatics and Organ #Regeneration using to join our team at the @hubrechtinstitute.bsky.social

If you are interested in how the heart regenerates and want to work in a dynamic and experienced team please apply here.

www.hubrecht.eu/job/phd-stud...
May 23, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Delighted that our work on positional memory is now published. We asked how axolotl cells 'know' which part of the limb to regenerate after injury.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A joy to work with super team Sarah Plattner, Yuka Sugiura, Francisco Falcon and Elly Tanaka.
🧵1/14
May 21, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Cool work from Raymond and colleagues (McCusker lab) on when, and how, limb cells start to acquire patterning competency during regeneration: www.nature.com/articles/s42.... This nicely builds on prior work from the Satoh lab and others.
Neural regulation of H3K27me3 during the induction of patterning competency in regenerating Axolotl limb cells - Communications Biology
A simplified limb regeneration assay in axolotls reveals the nerve-dependent growth factors that are sufficient to induce patterning competency and uncovers their downstream epigenetic targets.
www.nature.com
April 26, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
It has been known for a long time that if the starting point of limb regeneration is at the hand level or close to the shoulder, it would take about the same time to regenerate. Puzzling right?
Check out this preprint from our lab to know more about it:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Mechanical control of tissue growth during limb regeneration
The axolotl is a highly regenerative species, capable of restoring full limbs, regardless of the amputation site. However, the regeneration rate is adjusted with the plane of amputation along the prox...
www.biorxiv.org
April 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
A great month for axolotl limb regeneration pre-prints!
Two I enjoyed:
- Yamomoto et al. (Satoh lab) on coordinating patterning codes in A-P and D-V: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- Edwards-Jorquera et al. (Sandoval-Guzman lab) on mechanical control along P-D axis:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The integration mechanism of the four positional cues—anterior, posterior, dorsal, and ventral—in axolotl limb regeneration
Axolotls ( Ambystoma mexicanum ) exhibit a remarkable ability to regenerate limbs after amputation. Classical experiments have suggested that the integration of four positional cues—dorsal, ventral, a...
www.biorxiv.org
April 14, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
I am really happy to announce the first Hubrecht Symposium on March 13th 2025! We will organize these yearly events on a specific topic in molecular and developmental biology to emphasize the importance of fundamental research for Dutch science. Free of charge! www.hubrecht.eu/hubrecht-sym...
November 29, 2024 at 12:30 PM
Generation of a ZRS transgenic reporter and SHH antibody for analysing newt limb regeneration. Very interesting - congratulations to the authors!
www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12...
Development of a ZRS Reporter System for the Newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster) During Terrestrial Limb Regeneration
Background: Newts, a type of urodele amphibian, offer remarkable insights into regenerative medicine due to their extraordinary tissue regeneration capabilities—a challenging feat in humans. During li...
www.mdpi.com
November 28, 2024 at 1:32 PM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
Your reminder that many of the muscles, nerves and bones you use to hear and talk with correspond to gill structures in fish. 🧪 #evolution #paleontology
November 24, 2024 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
go.bsky.app/LjbAncZ
Made an axolotl one. Let me know if you'd like to be added, I'm sure there's going to be more of us on here!
November 24, 2024 at 8:02 AM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
✨New✨ Brand lab preprint - Quiescent neural stem cells adopt a transient 'stem cell-neuron' identity to coordinate their reactivation across the CNS. We've been discussing the neuron-like traits of quiescent NSCs for years, so it's been wonderful to see Laura and Jocelyn uncover these mechanisms! ⚡
Quiescent neural stem cells transiently become 'neurons' to coordinate reactivation
Reactivation of quiescent neural stem cells (qNSCs) is a coordinated process that generates new neurons and glia. Here, we show that during development reactivation follows a hierarchical sequence, wh...
www.biorxiv.org
November 22, 2024 at 10:51 AM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
Started creating a synthetic biology starter pack. Still missing many so reply here if I forgot you or someone else.
go.bsky.app/SjfpxTK #synbio
November 12, 2024 at 12:30 AM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
And hers is DevBio starter pack II:

go.bsky.app/2qUqVKE
November 16, 2024 at 11:21 PM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
Even though there are great #devbio and #biophysics starter packs, I felt #morphogenesis & #organogenesis was missing as a subfield :D

Far from complete or full. Tell me if you want to be added!
go.bsky.app/PB6s8PQ
November 19, 2024 at 7:14 PM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
Are you a #postdoc with an innovative vision for starting your own lab in #Syntheticbiology, #Genomics, #GeneRegulation, #Development, #Cancer, #Immunology or #InfectionBiology?

@IMPvienna is inviting applications for group leader positions: www.imp.ac.at/career/open-...

Pls share!
November 19, 2024 at 3:08 PM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
I made a (very incomplete) list of folks at the Vienna BioCenter (VBC). Please let me know if I should add you, or anybody else.
November 15, 2024 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by Leo Otsuki
If you share our enthusiasm for #regeneration, share, follow, and (self-)nominate people to the list.

🧪

go.bsky.app/MGXL9Ra
November 13, 2024 at 12:46 PM
Very happy to (re)connect with Developmental Biology and Regeneration Biology folks on here. I study principles of limb and spinal cord regeneration in the axolotl and am interested in #devbio #regenbio and #synbio.
November 19, 2024 at 3:58 PM