Japan: 26 Generations of Clones from Single Mouse
March 8th, 2013Via: AFP:
Japanese scientists have produced 26 generations of clones from a single mouse, the lead researcher said Friday, possibly paving the way for the mass replication of valuable livestock.
The team have so far produced 598 mice that are genetic copies of one original creature in an experiment that has so far been going for seven years, said Teruhiko Wakayama of the Riken Center for Developmental Biology.
“This is by far the largest cloning project using a mammal,” he told AFP.
“By applying our study, mass reproduction of prized animals should become possible even after the original animals die,” he said.
Reliable methods for cloning over an extended number of generations could be a boon to farmers who have, for example, a cow that produces a lot of milk, or an animal that is expected to produce particularly high-quality meat.
Natural breeding does not guarantee that an animal’s offspring will have the same qualities, but a clone is an exact copy.
Wakayama has significantly improved on existing capabilities that had a low success rate and tended only to last for a few generations.
