Posted on 11/01/2004 10:37:02 AM PST by 4kevin
Fly results might benefit methods for cloning mammals. As if there weren't enough of them in the world already, scientists have succeeded in cloning flies. The identical fruitflies are the first insects ever cloned, says the Canadian team that created them. The question everyone asks, says group leader Vett Lloyd of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is why anyone would want to clone flies in the first place. She hopes that the insects, which are very easy to experiment with, will help to fine-tune the cloning process in other animals and even in humans, where the technique is being researched to aid production of therapeutic stem cells. In cloning, the DNA-containing nucleus of an adult cell is injected into an egg whose own nucleus has been removed. At the moment, the majority of cloned mice, sheep and other animals die before birth. It is thought this is because the adult DNA is not properly 'reprogrammed' and cannot orchestrate the growth of an embryo. Using flies, researchers might reveal genes that are important for this reprogramming, and that have counterparts in other animals. That is because it is relatively easy in flies to knock out the function of a single gene and then attempt cloning with these cells, which will test whether that gene is crucial.
Oh goooooooood super bugs that kill cities. (I grew up in the 50's and 60's)
is it safe to say that the cloned flies are the slower ones that will be more easily caught?
Just what we need, more bugs ;)
They are cloning all the members of the DNC?MSM? I knew they would figure out a way to increse their turnout!
Wow what will they think of next.
...and they're voting for sKerry/Edwards.
...and they're voting for sKerry/Edwards.
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