User:Faith.n.vee/Commercial animal cloning

Endangered and extinct animals[edit]

Endangered and extinct animals are also being cloned in certain centers (i.e. Tianjin animal cloning center, ...). This is also referred to as "Conservation cloning".

In a recent study using Sturgeons (species of fish in the Acipenseridae family), scientists have been making improvements to a technique called somatic nuclear cell transfer (SNCT) with the ultimate goal being to save endangered species. Sturgeons are categorized endangered species due to the high levels of poaching, increased destruction to habitats, water pollution, and overfishing. This makes this species a perfect candidate for improving this type of cloning method, in hopes of preserving natural populations from becoming endangered. The SNCT technique is a well-known cloning method that has been around for years but solely focuses on species that are thriving rather than those endangered or extinct animals. This technique usually uses a single somatic donor cell with a single manipulation and inserts it into a recipient egg of the species of interest. It has recently been found that the position by which that somatic cell is located inside the recipient is very important in order to successfully clone a species. By making adjustments to the original method of using a single somatic cell and instead use multiple somatic donor cells to insert into the recipient egg, the likeliness of the somatic donor cells being in the crucial position on the egg will increase tremendously. This increase will then result in higher success rates with cloning. There is still on-going research using this improved method happening but from the data collect thus far seem to be a reasonable method to continue and soon be able to help stop species like the sturgeons from becoming endangered and possibly stop extinction from occurring all together.

When it comes to the cloning of extinct animals, things become quite difficult because that when death occurs, the animal's DNA starts to decay. This makes it impossible to fully preserve the entire genome of the animal which is used for most known cloning methods. New studies using genome editing, have made it possible to bring back traits of the extinct species. Currently, a lab at Harvard University's Wyss Institute, is working on a way to bring back a famously known extinct species referred to as the mammoth (or at least incorporate its traits into a closely related species). The goal is to genetically modify the mammoth's closely related living species, the elephant, in hopes of expanding available habitats of elephants and connecting lost ecological interactions. In order to make this goal possible, the team must first sequence and assemble the species genome from any preserved remains. After identifying the genome sequencing, a comparison of the extinct species and its closest living relative's genome can be made using advanced genome editing technology.

Studies have shown "cloning" of extinct animals is impossible, unlike like currently living animals. As a closely related alternative, genome engineering seems to be the next best thing in making these long-gone species somewhat present in today's time. Methods like CRISPR/caps9 allow scientists to edit the genome of closely related relatives, allowing at least the traits of extinct animals to become present, which is essentially like bringing the extinct species back itself.