Related News
Iran claims its first cloned cow
Source: Agencies |
July 13, 2009, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IRANIAN scientists have become the first in the Middle East to clone a cow as part of the country's stem cell research, the leader of the project said on Saturday.
The male cow, named Bonyana, was born on Saturday in the city of Isfahan in central Iran, said Dr Mohammed Hossein Nasr e Isfahani, head of the Royan Research Institute.
"With the birth of Bonyana, Iran proved its technological advances in stem cell research. This is the first cloned cow in the Middle East. It was our first successful cow cloning after two previous failures," said Isfahani, an embryologist.
Isfahani said the cloning of animals could lead to advances in medical research, including the use of cloned animals to produce possible human antibodies against diseases.
Isfahani said his institute also had the capability to preserve animals on the verge of extinction through cloning.
He said his institute plans more experiments in genetics and stem cell research using animal cells.
Iran's Shiite Muslim religious leaders have issued decrees authorizing animal cloning but banning any such attempts at human cloning.
In contrast, Sunni Muslim religious leaders - including senior clerics in Saudi Arabia - have banned cloning altogether.
Besides its nuclear activity and nascent space program, Iran has sought to highlight advances in other technologies such as cloning and medicine.
The government set a goal to become a regional leader in advanced sciences and technology by 2025. Iran announced in 2006 that it cloned a sheep and in April it said it cloned a goat.
The male cow, named Bonyana, was born on Saturday in the city of Isfahan in central Iran, said Dr Mohammed Hossein Nasr e Isfahani, head of the Royan Research Institute.
"With the birth of Bonyana, Iran proved its technological advances in stem cell research. This is the first cloned cow in the Middle East. It was our first successful cow cloning after two previous failures," said Isfahani, an embryologist.
Isfahani said the cloning of animals could lead to advances in medical research, including the use of cloned animals to produce possible human antibodies against diseases.
Isfahani said his institute also had the capability to preserve animals on the verge of extinction through cloning.
He said his institute plans more experiments in genetics and stem cell research using animal cells.
Iran's Shiite Muslim religious leaders have issued decrees authorizing animal cloning but banning any such attempts at human cloning.
In contrast, Sunni Muslim religious leaders - including senior clerics in Saudi Arabia - have banned cloning altogether.
Besides its nuclear activity and nascent space program, Iran has sought to highlight advances in other technologies such as cloning and medicine.
The government set a goal to become a regional leader in advanced sciences and technology by 2025. Iran announced in 2006 that it cloned a sheep and in April it said it cloned a goat.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
