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Australian researchers recently introduced a four-week-old calf to the world that was cloned from developed cells similar to Dolly the sheep in Scotland three years ago. Named Suzi, the calf is expected to be joined soon by a genetically identical twin sister made from the same cell line. The calf was produced from fetus cells that were removed, grown in a laboratory and cloned using electrical impulses to fuse the cultured cells with unfertilized eggs. The resulting embryo was then transferred to a surrogate mother cow. Suzi is Australia's first cloned calf using this method and could lead to what Australian scientists are saying could be the world's first cloned dairy and beef cattle herds. "We've certainly got a chance of being up there as one of the first," said Dr. Ian Lewis with Genetics Australia. "We can do agricultural things cheaper because of the nature of our agriculture." Lewis said cloning could be used to make multiple copies of the best breeding bulls for the nation's beef herd. He says that within five years there could be hundreds or thousands of cloned animals. Australian researchers said this would give Australian beef cattle producers an edge over competitors like Argentina, but Australia's beef cattle industry with over 25 million head is wary of consumer backlash concerning genetic engineering. Justin Toohey, executive director of the Cattle Council of Australia, said the development is something that will have to be studied. He predicted legislative and community involvement in decisions to move ahead with a commercial herd. Norm Crothers with the Australian Consumers Association said consumers are going to be skeptical about the safety of food products from cloned cattle. Lewis said that cloning is simply another step in improving the genetics of a herd. Suzi is the result of joint research by the Monash University Institute of Reproduction and Development, Genetics Australia, the Victoria State Institute of Animal Science and the Dairy Research and Development Corp. |
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