New Cloning Breakthrough 9
Omicron writes "Scientists have now discovered how to clone animals from cells that have been in "storage" for an extended period of time, something previously though impossible. The technology can also be used to help repair organs and body parts without having to clone an entire animal/person. You can read the story here at Wired. "
Ready for my heart attack, Mr. DeMille... (Score:1)
"/. launches Science Section" is better title (Score:1)
This is an interesting story. It was on NPR last night as well. They think it is another significant step to the mass production of gentically identical farm animals. In addition to producing designer meat products, could result in pigs that grow organs for transplant into humans, or cows/goats/sheep that produce medicine in their milk.
Vegans will see this as just another way subjigate other species. Darwinists, like myself, will likely see it as another way animals can be used to benefit humans.
By the way, since four hours have past, I think it is safe to say '1st Post!'
Re:possible dangers (Score:1)
Why? Because you saw it in the movies?
The movies say "clones are evil". Without more technologies, most of the scenaries are impossible. For instance, clone armies require thousands/millions of host mothers plus ~20 years of education/training/maturation time.
Organ farms? The technology to just grow the organs themselves seems much more promising. One cannot grow adult organs without >10 years of maturation time, a host womb as well as a brain in the host. (any organs grown in a host without a brain will be pretty unhealthy). And if the host has a brain, then harvesting it for organs is called murder, and can get you life in jail.
And if Jurassic Park is created, I'll be one of the first in line. They've kept elephants & tigers in zoos for ages, why can't they keep dinasours? If dinasours were anything special they'd still be around...
Bryan
Re:possible dangers (Score:1)
I suppose one could clone/grow thousands of wombs and use these to clone armies without bothering with host mothers.
Can you explain why? (i'm honestly asking) If this is so, again one could clone and grow hosts with genetically-engineered brains so that they are good enough to grow healthy organs but not intelligent enough to be regarded as humans. Then one can kill them without becoming a murderer.
Re:"/. launches Science Section" is better title (Score:1)
Whenever this "benefit" to cloning arises, I always wonder why this would be such a good thing. Don't scientists remember the Potato Blight? Genetic diversity is life's insurance against elimination by a single virus.
There is a further danger with genome-lego-nomics, raised by Arthur C. Clarke in Rama Revealed [amazon.com]. The book briefly describes a race of beings that had continually altered their DNA (which was more complex than humans'). Unfortunately, an early change caused their DNA to slowly and slightly destabilize. Hundreds of years later when the mistake was manifesting itself, it had already propagated through the gene pool.
It was only then that they realized that no one kept an original copy of the species' DNA and a great, star-faring race fell extinct.
No one knows the interactions between each gene and each protien. We need to be careful that any changes made to a genome can be undone.
And I only found the Science section because if the Hemos/CmdrTaco interview too. How about an announcement, guys?
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possible dangers (Score:1)
This seems like it could be pretty bad. All genetic engineering breakthroughs seem to be good ideas, but really worry me. I mean, generating heart tissue with cloning technology, while I didn't realize this was previously impossible, is wonderful. But is it just me, or can we now clone dinosaurs and keep them in a sort of jurassic zoo, or park? DOesn't that sound like it could be a problem?
--Colbey