British scientist Ian Wilmut, whose work was central to the creation of Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal to be cloned, has died at the age of 79. The news of his death was announced by University of Edinburgh on Monday (September 11). Wilmut worked at the university.

He died on Sunday. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease many years ago.

Wilmut, along with Keith Campbell animal sciences research institute in Scotland shot to worldwide fame when creation of Dolly the Sheep generated news headlines and ethical debates in the year 1996.

"He led efforts to develop cloning, or nuclear transfer, techniques that could be used to make genetically modified sheep. It was these efforts which led to the births of Megan and Morag in 1995 and Dolly in 1996," the university said in a statement.

Dolly, named after country singer Dolly Parton, was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, using a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).

<img alt="Dolly the sheep" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d59b567d-adc3-477d-85a3-349449d8ef7c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2023-09-11T161734Z_2_LYNXMPEJ8A0MH_RTROPTP_4_SCIENCE-CLONING-DOLLY.JPG" />

The process involved taking a sheep egg, removal of its DNA and its replacement with DNA from a frozen udder cell of a sheep that died years before. The egg was then zapped with electricity to make it grow like a fertilised embryo. No sperm was required.

The breakthrough, though scientifically fascinating, started ethical debate and triggered fears of human cloning or producing copies of living or dead people. Mainstream scientists have ruled this out as being far too dangerous.

Wilmut was born near Stratford-upon-Avon. He attended University of Nottingham. He initially planned to study agriculture before switching to animal science.

He moved to University of Edinburgh in 2005 and retired in 2012. He received a knighthood in 2008.

Peter Mathieson, the vice-chancellor of Edinburgh University, hailed Wilmut as "a titan of the scientific world" whose work cloning Dolly "transformed scientific thinking at the time".

"This breakthrough continues to fuel many of the advances that have been made in the field of regenerative medicine that we see today," he said in a statement.

Bruce Whitelaw, the current head of the Roslin Institute, described Wilmut's passing as "sad news".

"Science has lost a household name," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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British scientist Ian Wilmut, whose work was central to the creation of Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal to be cloned, has died at the age of 79. The news of his death was announced by University of Edinburgh on Monday (September 11).

British scientist Ian Wilmut, whose work was central to the creation of Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal to be cloned, has died at the age of 79. The news of his death was announced by University of Edinburgh on Monday (September 11). Wilmut worked at the university. He died on Sunday. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease many years ago. Wilmut, along with Keith Campbell animal sciences research institute in Scotland shot to worldwide fame when creation of Dolly the Sheep generated news headlines and ethical debates in the year 1996. "He led efforts to develop cloning, or nuclear transfer, techniques that could be used to make genetically modified sheep. It was these efforts which led to the births of Megan and Morag in 1995 and Dolly in 1996," the university said in a statement. Dolly, named after country singer Dolly Parton, was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, using a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The process involved taking a sheep egg, removal of its DNA and its replacement with DNA from a frozen udder cell of a sheep that died years before. The egg was then zapped with electricity to make it grow like a fertilised embryo. No sperm was required. The breakthrough, though scientifically fascinating, started ethical debate and triggered fears of human cloning or producing copies of living or dead people. Mainstream scientists have ruled this out as being far too dangerous. Wilmut was born near Stratford-upon-Avon. He attended University of Nottingham. He initially planned to study agriculture before switching to animal science. He moved to University of Edinburgh in 2005 and retired in 2012. He received a knighthood in 2008. Peter Mathieson, the vice-chancellor of Edinburgh University, hailed Wilmut as "a titan of the scientific world" whose work cloning Dolly "transformed scientific thinking at the time". "This breakthrough continues to fuel many of the advances that have been made in the field of regenerative medicine that we see today," he said in a statement. Bruce Whitelaw, the current head of the Roslin Institute, described Wilmut's passing as "sad news". "Science has lost a household name," he added. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Ian Wilmut, the scientist who created first cloned mammal Dolly the Sheep, passes away

Broadway may be dark for several months to come, but actors from four shuttered shows have been given the opportunity — a rare one during the coronavirus pandemic — to put on their costumes and perform. The venue: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The term parade is being used loosely this year. The helium-filled balloons and star-studded floats will not be traveling their typical jam-packed, 2 1/2-mile route starting at West 77th Street. They will be gliding just one city block down 34th Street, near the flagship department store, and without an audience.

But even if it’s more television show than crowd fest this year, the parade will provide a respite from the doldrums of a closed Broadway with performances by the casts of “Hamilton,” “Mean Girls,” “Jagged Little Pill,” and “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations,” all shows that have not taken the stage since March.

Parade organizers said the Broadway performances will be filmed and then aired with the rest of the parade on the morning of Nov. 26. Given the virus and the long layoff since March, the appearances are requiring rigorous rehearsals and meticulous planning to make sure that the entertainers are back on game and the performers and production team do not pose a health risk to one another.

Sergio Trujillo, the Tony Award-winning choreographer of “Ain’t Too Proud,” said that he choreographed a new number to a medley of two Temptations songs, “My Girl” and “Get Ready.” Last year, the entire cast of the show performed at the outset of the parade broadcast, but this time, Trujillo kept the number to the five stars. He said he choreographed with social distancing in mind, making sure that the formations were staggered and the performers could keep separated while dancing.

“Anything we can do to make sure our Broadway lovers stay engaged and invested,” Trujillo said.

Anyone involved in the performance gets a coronavirus test and a temperature check before convening, and everyone will wear masks on the set, though the performers will be able to remove them to sing, he said.

In a typical year, Macy’s and NBC work together to select the Broadway shows that will perform live on Thanksgiving Day, usually emphasizing productions with flashy, dance-heavy numbers. This year, some producers said that they would not be able to make the performance work because their cast members were spending the pandemic shutdown period outside the state or country, said Wesley Whatley, the parade’s creative producer.

The four performances that ultimately came together are being paid for by NBC, giving the performers a welcome paycheck after months of no work.

This is the 94th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and it has been reimagined in almost every way. Usually, it has 8,000 to 10,000 people working the route, said Susan Tercero, the event’s executive producer. This year, there will be about 1,500. And there will be an in-person audience of zero (the area surrounding the parade route will be shut down, even during planning, so there will be no opportunity for street viewing).

Participants must be at least 18 years old and cannot come from outside the tri-state area. And the massive balloons will no longer be flown by smiling, uniformed handlers but instead driven by utility vehicles to limit the number of people involved.

“We still wanted to deliver what people expect on a Thanksgiving morning,” Tercero said. “But it’s going to look like a parade during COVID times: We’re going to have people in masks, and we’re going to be socially distanced.”

The show, to air on NBC, will be hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker and will feature a typical roster of celebrities from the worlds of music and television. The lineup includes Lauren Alaina; Jimmie Allen; Noah Cyrus; Ally Brooke; Sofia Carson; CNCO; Jimmy Fallon and The Roots; Karol G; Tori Kelly; Patti LaBelle; Ella Mai; the current Miss America, Camille Schrier; the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street; Leslie Odom Jr.; Keke Palmer; Dolly Parton; Pentatonix; Bebe Rexha; Jordin Sparks; Sebastián Yatra; and Brett Young.

They will be followed, as usual, by Santa Claus, who is in good health despite the fact that the coronavirus has even made it to the Arctic.

In New York, where the worst impact of the virus has waned but cases are climbing again, the parade planning team at Macy’s aimed to feature artists who have been deprived of the opportunity to perform over the past several months. So one appearance will be by a ballerina with New York City Ballet who will dance as the Sugar Plum Fairy from George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,” which has been canceled entirely this season.

And in a display of empathy for their fellow parades of New York City, the event is integrating performers whose appearances at various events in recent months were canceled because of COVID-19. The pretaped entertainment will include those who had been scheduled to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Pride March, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade and the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, which were all canceled this year.

“Why not showcase New York at a time when a lot of people have missed being able to participate and watch these types of performances and cultural displays?” Tercero said.

Broadway may be dark for several months to come, but actors from four shuttered shows have been given the opportunity — a rare one during the coronavirus pandemic — to put on their costumes and perform.

Broadway may be dark for several months to come, but actors from four shuttered shows have been given the opportunity — a rare one during the coronavirus pandemic — to put on their costumes and perform. The venue: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The term parade is being used loosely this year. The helium-filled balloons and star-studded floats will not be traveling their typical jam-packed, 2 1/2-mile route starting at West 77th Street. They will be gliding just one city block down 34th Street, near the flagship department store, and without an audience. But even if it’s more television show than crowd fest this year, the parade will provide a respite from the doldrums of a closed Broadway with performances by the casts of “Hamilton,” “Mean Girls,” “Jagged Little Pill,” and “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations,” all shows that have not taken the stage since March. Parade organizers said the Broadway performances will be filmed and then aired with the rest of the parade on the morning of Nov. 26. Given the virus and the long layoff since March, the appearances are requiring rigorous rehearsals and meticulous planning to make sure that the entertainers are back on game and the performers and production team do not pose a health risk to one another. Sergio Trujillo, the Tony Award-winning choreographer of “Ain’t Too Proud,” said that he choreographed a new number to a medley of two Temptations songs, “My Girl” and “Get Ready.” Last year, the entire cast of the show performed at the outset of the parade broadcast, but this time, Trujillo kept the number to the five stars. He said he choreographed with social distancing in mind, making sure that the formations were staggered and the performers could keep separated while dancing. “Anything we can do to make sure our Broadway lovers stay engaged and invested,” Trujillo said. Anyone involved in the performance gets a coronavirus test and a temperature check before convening, and everyone will wear masks on the set, though the performers will be able to remove them to sing, he said. In a typical year, Macy’s and NBC work together to select the Broadway shows that will perform live on Thanksgiving Day, usually emphasizing productions with flashy, dance-heavy numbers. This year, some producers said that they would not be able to make the performance work because their cast members were spending the pandemic shutdown period outside the state or country, said Wesley Whatley, the parade’s creative producer. The four performances that ultimately came together are being paid for by NBC, giving the performers a welcome paycheck after months of no work. This is the 94th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and it has been reimagined in almost every way. Usually, it has 8,000 to 10,000 people working the route, said Susan Tercero, the event’s executive producer. This year, there will be about 1,500. And there will be an in-person audience of zero (the area surrounding the parade route will be shut down, even during planning, so there will be no opportunity for street viewing). Participants must be at least 18 years old and cannot come from outside the tri-state area. And the massive balloons will no longer be flown by smiling, uniformed handlers but instead driven by utility vehicles to limit the number of people involved. “We still wanted to deliver what people expect on a Thanksgiving morning,” Tercero said. “But it’s going to look like a parade during COVID times: We’re going to have people in masks, and we’re going to be socially distanced.” The show, to air on NBC, will be hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker and will feature a typical roster of celebrities from the worlds of music and television. The lineup includes Lauren Alaina; Jimmie Allen; Noah Cyrus; Ally Brooke; Sofia Carson; CNCO; Jimmy Fallon and The Roots; Karol G; Tori Kelly; Patti LaBelle; Ella Mai; the current Miss America, Camille Schrier; the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street; Leslie Odom Jr.; Keke Palmer; Dolly Parton; Pentatonix; Bebe Rexha; Jordin Sparks; Sebastián Yatra; and Brett Young. They will be followed, as usual, by Santa Claus, who is in good health despite the fact that the coronavirus has even made it to the Arctic. In New York, where the worst impact of the virus has waned but cases are climbing again, the parade planning team at Macy’s aimed to feature artists who have been deprived of the opportunity to perform over the past several months. So one appearance will be by a ballerina with New York City Ballet who will dance as the Sugar Plum Fairy from George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,” which has been canceled entirely this season. And in a display of empathy for their fellow parades of New York City, the event is integrating performers whose appearances at various events in recent months were canceled because of COVID-19. The pretaped entertainment will include those who had been scheduled to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Pride March, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade and the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, which were all canceled this year. “Why not showcase New York at a time when a lot of people have missed being able to participate and watch these types of performances and cultural displays?” Tercero said.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade revives Broadway for a day

Four genetically-identical copies of Dolly the famous cloned sheep, which suffered ill health and died prematurely in 2003, are going strong at the advanced age of nine, a study said Tuesday. 
 
Debbie, Denise, Dianna and Daisy - identical sisters of Dolly, though born 11 years later - were &quot;in pretty good health&quot;, according to researchers who studied whether cloned animals can live long, healthy lives. 
 
The quadruplets were made from the same mammary gland cell line that yielded Dolly -- the first mammal cloned using a technique called somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). 
 
Born 20 years ago on July 5, 1996, Dolly developed crippling knee arthritis aged five and died of lung disease at the age of six - about half the life expectancy of her breed of Finn-Dorset sheep. 
 
Dolly&#39;s ill health and early demise raised red flags that clones may be sickly and age prematurely compared to naturally-conceived peers. 
 
Cloned lab mice, too, have shown a propensity for obesity, diabetes, and dying young. 
 
Kevin Sinclair of the University of Nottingham and a team conducted thorough medical exams on the four &quot;Dollies&quot; born in July 2007, as well as nine other sheep clones from different cell cultures. 
 
All 13 animals, aged seven to nine, were the product of lab studies seeking to improve the efficiency of SCNT. 
 
Experts measured the sheep&#39;s glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and muscle and bone strength, in what they said was the first comprehensive assessment of age-related disease in animal clones. 
 
A few of the sheep had mild osteoarthritis, the team found, and one a &quot;moderate&quot; form of the ailment - though this was not unusual for their age. None of the sheep were lame, as Dolly was. 
 
Ageing &#39;normally&#39; 
 
Despite their &quot;advanced age&quot;, none of the sheep were diabetic, and they had normal blood pressure. 
 
The data, said the team, was &quot;compelling, indicating no detrimental long-term adverse effects of SCNT on the health of aged adult offspring.&quot; 
 
SCNT involves removing the DNA-containing nucleus from a cell other than an egg or sperm - a skin cell, for example - and implanting it into an unfertilised egg from which the nucleus had been removed. 
 
Once transferred, the egg reprogrammes the mature DNA back to an embryonic state with the aid of an electric jolt, and it starts dividing to form an embryo. 
 
No human is known to ever have been created in this way. 
 
In spite of recent improvements, the technique remains inefficient, and expensive, with a small percentage of cloned embryos surviving to birth. 
 
&quot;For those clones that survive however, the emerging consensus, supported by the current data, is that they are healthy and seem to age normally,&quot; said the study in the journal Nature Communications. 
 
Animal cloning is used in agriculture, mainly to create breeding stock, as well as in the business of &quot;bringing back&quot; people&#39;s dead pets. 
 
Despite initial high expectations, it has not found a place in the field of medical therapy for humans. 
 
(AFP)

Dolly died prematurely in 2003 but her four identical sisters are 'in pretty good health' at the advanced age of nine, researchers said

Four genetically-identical copies of Dolly the famous cloned sheep, which suffered ill health and died prematurely in 2003, are going strong at the advanced age of nine, a study said Tuesday. Debbie, Denise, Dianna and Daisy - identical sisters of Dolly, though born 11 years later - were "in pretty good health", according to researchers who studied whether cloned animals can live long, healthy lives. The quadruplets were made from the same mammary gland cell line that yielded Dolly -- the first mammal cloned using a technique called somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Born 20 years ago on July 5, 1996, Dolly developed crippling knee arthritis aged five and died of lung disease at the age of six - about half the life expectancy of her breed of Finn-Dorset sheep. Dolly's ill health and early demise raised red flags that clones may be sickly and age prematurely compared to naturally-conceived peers. Cloned lab mice, too, have shown a propensity for obesity, diabetes, and dying young. Kevin Sinclair of the University of Nottingham and a team conducted thorough medical exams on the four "Dollies" born in July 2007, as well as nine other sheep clones from different cell cultures. All 13 animals, aged seven to nine, were the product of lab studies seeking to improve the efficiency of SCNT. Experts measured the sheep's glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and muscle and bone strength, in what they said was the first comprehensive assessment of age-related disease in animal clones. A few of the sheep had mild osteoarthritis, the team found, and one a "moderate" form of the ailment - though this was not unusual for their age. None of the sheep were lame, as Dolly was. Ageing 'normally' Despite their "advanced age", none of the sheep were diabetic, and they had normal blood pressure. The data, said the team, was "compelling, indicating no detrimental long-term adverse effects of SCNT on the health of aged adult offspring." SCNT involves removing the DNA-containing nucleus from a cell other than an egg or sperm - a skin cell, for example - and implanting it into an unfertilised egg from which the nucleus had been removed. Once transferred, the egg reprogrammes the mature DNA back to an embryonic state with the aid of an electric jolt, and it starts dividing to form an embryo. No human is known to ever have been created in this way. In spite of recent improvements, the technique remains inefficient, and expensive, with a small percentage of cloned embryos surviving to birth. "For those clones that survive however, the emerging consensus, supported by the current data, is that they are healthy and seem to age normally," said the study in the journal Nature Communications. Animal cloning is used in agriculture, mainly to create breeding stock, as well as in the business of "bringing back" people's dead pets. Despite initial high expectations, it has not found a place in the field of medical therapy for humans. (AFP)

Dolly the sheep's clones are healthy and kicking

Two decades after Scotland&#39;s Dolly, the sheep, became the first cloned mammal, consumers may well wonder whether they are drinking milk or eating meat from cookie-cutter cows or their offspring. 
 
The simple answer: &quot;probably&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
The fact is, there is no way to know for sure, say experts, even in Europe, which has come closer to banning livestock cloning than anywhere else in the world. 
 
With the possible exception of the ram sacrificed by Abraham in the Bible, Dolly must be the world&#39;s most famous sheep.&nbsp;The ewe&#39;s birth in an Edinburgh laboratory on July 5, 1996 was front-page news, provoking hype and hand-wringing in equal parts.&nbsp; 
 
For the most part, cloning turned out to be a dead end. 
 
But there is one sector in which Dolly&#39;s legacy is alive and well: the duplication of prize breeding animals. 
 
How aggressively the private sector has developed this niche market has depended in a large part on national or regional regulations, with key differences between the United States, China and the European Union.&quot;The most dramatic impact of the cloning of Dolly has been on animal cloning in the United States,&quot; said Aaron Levine, an expert in bioethics and cloning at Georgia Tech. 
 
In 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration concluded that &quot;food from cattle, swine and goat clones is as safe to eat as food from any other cattle, swine or goat&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;Cloned animals are not intended to enter food supply directly&#39; 
 
Not even scientists can distinguish a healthy clone from a conventionally bred animal, the regulatory agency said. 
 
There are no requirements to label meat or milk from a cloned animal or its offspring, whether sold domestically or abroad. 
 
For the industry, the aim was never to set up assembly-line production -- cloning is difficult and expensive at more than 10,000 Euros ($11,000) a pop, and the success rate low, with few clones surviving to birth. 
 
So the focus, instead, is on copying genetically outstanding specimens so they may naturally sire exceptional progeny. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s fairly widespread in US to use cloning to produce breeding stock,&quot; said Levine. &quot;Cloned animals are not intended to enter the food supply directly.&quot; 
 
&quot;I suspect some may have,&quot; he added. 
 
US companies typically produce hundreds or few thousand clones per year&nbsp; 
 
Among the leaders in commercial livestock cloning in the US are Cyagra, based in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and ViaGen, in Austin, Texas. 
 
At least one company, ViaGen, also provides services for copying cherished cats and dogs. US companies typically produce hundreds or a few thousand clones per year. 
 
The Boyalife Group&#39;s cloning new factory near the northern coastal city of Tianjin in China, however, is aiming for an annual output of 100,000 cows this year, scaling up to a million by 2020. 
 
Also in the pipeline are thoroughbred racehorses, pets and police dogs specialised in searching and sniffing. 
 
Boyalife has said it is working with South Korean partner Sooam and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to improve primate cloning technology, to create better test animals for human disease research. 
 
And in December, Boyalife&#39;s lead scientist and chief executive Xu Xiaochun, said he would not shy away from cloning humans if regulations allowed it. Faced with strong public opinion against cloning of any kind, the European Union does not allow the practice in animal husbandry. 
 
But officials acknowledge that meat or milk derived from cows with a cloned ancestor may very well have made its way into the market, whether directly imported, obtained from a live imported animal, or one bred domestically from genetic material brought into the EU. 
 
&quot;Without knowing it, Europeans are probably eating meat from the descendents of clones that cannot be traced,&quot; said Pauline Constant, spokeswoman for the European Office of consumer associations, based in Brussels. 
 
Officials say they are not concerned about any impact on human health. 
 
In September, the European Parliament called, by a large majority, not only for a ban on cloned animals, but also on products derived from them.&nbsp; 
 
The final decision rests with the European Commission, which has taken a less hard-line position.&nbsp; 
 
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Australia are among the other countries which clone livestock. 
 
(AFP)

'Not even scientists can distinguish a healthy clone from a conventionally bred animal'

Two decades after Scotland's Dolly, the sheep, became the first cloned mammal, consumers may well wonder whether they are drinking milk or eating meat from cookie-cutter cows or their offspring. The simple answer: "probably". The fact is, there is no way to know for sure, say experts, even in Europe, which has come closer to banning livestock cloning than anywhere else in the world. With the possible exception of the ram sacrificed by Abraham in the Bible, Dolly must be the world's most famous sheep. The ewe's birth in an Edinburgh laboratory on July 5, 1996 was front-page news, provoking hype and hand-wringing in equal parts. For the most part, cloning turned out to be a dead end. But there is one sector in which Dolly's legacy is alive and well: the duplication of prize breeding animals. How aggressively the private sector has developed this niche market has depended in a large part on national or regional regulations, with key differences between the United States, China and the European Union."The most dramatic impact of the cloning of Dolly has been on animal cloning in the United States," said Aaron Levine, an expert in bioethics and cloning at Georgia Tech. In 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration concluded that "food from cattle, swine and goat clones is as safe to eat as food from any other cattle, swine or goat". 'Cloned animals are not intended to enter food supply directly' Not even scientists can distinguish a healthy clone from a conventionally bred animal, the regulatory agency said. There are no requirements to label meat or milk from a cloned animal or its offspring, whether sold domestically or abroad. For the industry, the aim was never to set up assembly-line production -- cloning is difficult and expensive at more than 10,000 Euros ($11,000) a pop, and the success rate low, with few clones surviving to birth. So the focus, instead, is on copying genetically outstanding specimens so they may naturally sire exceptional progeny. "It's fairly widespread in US to use cloning to produce breeding stock," said Levine. "Cloned animals are not intended to enter the food supply directly." "I suspect some may have," he added. US companies typically produce hundreds or few thousand clones per year Among the leaders in commercial livestock cloning in the US are Cyagra, based in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and ViaGen, in Austin, Texas. At least one company, ViaGen, also provides services for copying cherished cats and dogs. US companies typically produce hundreds or a few thousand clones per year. The Boyalife Group's cloning new factory near the northern coastal city of Tianjin in China, however, is aiming for an annual output of 100,000 cows this year, scaling up to a million by 2020. Also in the pipeline are thoroughbred racehorses, pets and police dogs specialised in searching and sniffing. Boyalife has said it is working with South Korean partner Sooam and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to improve primate cloning technology, to create better test animals for human disease research. And in December, Boyalife's lead scientist and chief executive Xu Xiaochun, said he would not shy away from cloning humans if regulations allowed it. Faced with strong public opinion against cloning of any kind, the European Union does not allow the practice in animal husbandry. But officials acknowledge that meat or milk derived from cows with a cloned ancestor may very well have made its way into the market, whether directly imported, obtained from a live imported animal, or one bred domestically from genetic material brought into the EU. "Without knowing it, Europeans are probably eating meat from the descendents of clones that cannot be traced," said Pauline Constant, spokeswoman for the European Office of consumer associations, based in Brussels. Officials say they are not concerned about any impact on human health. In September, the European Parliament called, by a large majority, not only for a ban on cloned animals, but also on products derived from them. The final decision rests with the European Commission, which has taken a less hard-line position. Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Australia are among the other countries which clone livestock. (AFP)

The Dolly legacy: Are you eating cloned meat?

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