PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

World's first handmade cloned transgenic sheep born in China

2012-04-21
(Press-News.org) April 19, 2012, Shenzhen, China - Chinese scientists from BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, together with the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Shihezi University, Xinjiang province, made a significant breakthrough in animal cloning. The world's first transgenic sheep produced with a simplified technique, handmade cloning, was successfully born at 12:16pm, March 26, 2012, in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The project was also supported by the Animal Science Academy of Xinjiang.

"The transgenic sheep is named 'Peng Peng' (after the identical given names of the two cloners), his birth weight was 5.74 kg." said excitedly Dr. Yutao Du, Director of BGI Ark Biotechnology Co., LTD. (BAB), one of BGI's affiliates focusing on large scale production of transgenic and cloned animals. "Peng Peng is developing normally and appears healthy" she added.

The project has been launched more than two years ago. Apart from the general inefficiency of cloning (only a small fraction of the reconstructed embryos develop to healthy offspring) cloners had to overcome additional difficulties including the special climate and compromised laboratory environment with very basic instruments. Accordingly, an innovative simplified technique called Handmade Cloning (HMC) was used, with less demand for sophisticated equipment, simplified procedures, lower costs and higher production efficiency. In 2009, donor cells were collected from a Chinese Merino sheep, and by genetic manipulation a transgenic cell line was established. After numerous attempts, the HMC system for sheep cloning was successfully established in October 2011. The transfer of the produced embryos has eventually led to the present achievement.

The genetic modification may result in improved meat quality by increasing the unsaturated fatty acid content. According to the researchers, the gene associated withω-3 poly unsaturated fatty acid (ω-3PUFA) was successfully transferred into Peng Peng. ω-3PUFAs serve as essential fatty acids for humans reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and supporting the normal development of the brain, eye and neurons. "The birth of Peng Peng means that people could absorb ω-3PUFAs by drinking milk or eating meat in the future." said Dr. Du, "The most difficult task has been accomplished, the transgenic sheep production platform is established, we are ready for the industrial-scale development."

Since HMC was introduced in 2001, offspring of several important species including cattle, pig, goat and water buffalo have been produced by using this technique. The procedure may contribute to efforts to save endangered species and to produce medicines for human diseases through transgenic animals.

Last year, BGI has made great achievements on cloned transgenic mini-pigs and micro-pigs. Last August, a heroic pig, named Zhu Jiangqiang (Strong-Willed Pig), who had survived more than a month buried under rubble after the 2008 earthquake in China's Sichuan province was also cloned, producing 6 piglets identical with the famous animal. "With each new species cloned, we learn more about the possible contribution of HMC to improve the health of animals and humans." said Dr. Du. "I expect more breakthroughs on transgenic and cloned animal research in the foreseeable future."

INFORMATION:

About BGI Ark Biotechnology Co., LTD

BGI Ark Biotechnology Co., LTD. Shenzhen (BAB), affiliated to BGI, is a high-tech enterprise, mainly focusing on mass production of transgenic and cloned animals.

Based on a core technology named Handmade Cloning (HMC), BAB has established a reliable and efficient standard production system, including vector construction, screening of genetically modified cell lines, reconstruction of cloned embryos, embryo transfer, among others.

Compared with traditional cloning, the benefits of handmade cloning are great. Low equipment costs, a simple and rapid procedure and a higher in vitro efficiency are valuable for large scale research in medical and agricultural sciences.

For more information about BAB, please visit www.bab-genomics.com.

About BGI

BGI was founded in Beijing, China, in 1999 with the mission to become a premier scientific partner for the global research community. The goal of BGI is to make leading-edge genomic science highly accessible, which it achieves through its investment in infrastructure, leveraging the best available technology, economies of scale, and expert bioinformatics resources. BGI, and its affiliates, BGI Americas, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, and BGI Europe, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, have established partnerships and collaborations with leading academic and government research institutions as well as global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, supporting a variety of disease, agricultural, environmental, and related applications.

BGI has a proven track record of excellence, delivering results with high efficiency and accuracy for innovative, high-profile research: research that has generated over 170 publications in top-tier journals such as Nature and Science. BGI's many accomplishments include: sequencing one percent of the human genome for the International Human Genome Project, contributing 10 percent to the International Human HapMap Project, carrying out research to combat SARS and German deadly E. coli, playing a key role in the Sino-British Chicken Genome Project, and completing the sequence of the rice genome, the silkworm genome, the first Asian diploid genome, the potato genome, and, more recently, have sequenced the human Gut Metagenome, and a significant proportion of the genomes for the 1000 Genomes Project.

For more information about BGI, please visit www.genomics.cn

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Being beside the seaside is good for you

2012-04-21
Exercise in the open air is good for you, but if you want to reap the full benefits you should head for the coast or the countryside rather than an urban park. That is the conclusion of research by Katherine Ashbullby and Dr Mathew White from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, and the School of Psychology, University of Plymouth. Mathew White is presenting the findings today (19 April) to the British Psychological Society Annual Conference held at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London (18-20 April). Katherine ...

Research links childhood trauma to schizophrenia

2012-04-21
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have found that children who have experienced severe trauma are three times as likely to develop schizophrenia in later life. The findings shed new light on the debate about the importance of genetic and environmental triggers of psychotic disorders. For many years research in mental health has focused on the biological factors behind conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychotic depression, but there is now increasing evidence to suggest these conditions cannot be fully understood without first looking at ...

Allowing patient access to chosen GP would reduce costs for the NHS

2012-04-21
A University of Leicester study has provided clear evidence that allowing a patient to see a particular doctor in the GP surgery has an important impact on reducing hospital admissions. Between 1999-2000 and 2009-2010 elective (non-emergency) hospital admissions in England increased by 28% to 9.4 million. Over the same period, there was an increase of 35% in emergency admissions. But research from the University's Department of Health Sciences found that a 1% increase in the proportion of patients able to see a particular doctor was associated with a reduction of 7.6 ...

Silicon Valley Investors Share Career Advice with Olin Business School Students

2012-04-21
John Doerr has backed some of the most successful ventures in the internet age from Amazon to Zynga. He shared insights and advice during a recent visit to Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. "I'm an idea junkie, an addict to new and shiny ideas," John Doerr told an audience of students and faculty at Olin Business School this week. The influential Silicon Valley venture capitalist and his partners at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers have backed some of the most successful start-ups in the internet age. From Google and Amazon to ...

Obesity and extreme slimness cause risks in pregnancy

Obesity and extreme slimness cause risks in pregnancy
2012-04-21
Obese women run the risk of problems during pregnancy, labour and complications for the baby's health. A new study of more than 3000 expectant mothers confirms this, and also reveals that being underweight also has specific complications. Researchers at University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, in Granada, have identified the risks in pregnancy related specifically to obesity and have compared them to underweight women to confirm that extreme slimness also carries a risk. "During pregnancy, obesity is linked to hypertension, gestational diabetes, premature labour, ...

Ozark Dentist Offers Mobile Website to His Patients

2012-04-21
Dr. David Struble, Ozark dentist, is pleased to announce that his practice is now offering a mobile version of its website. The new mobile site is optimized for viewing on smartphones and tablet devices. "I'm happy to be able to offer the new mobile site to our patients. I know that more and more people today are using their mobile phones to access the Internet and I'm glad that our website is designed to fit with those devices. I hope that our patients that use smartphones and tablets will access our site in this way," said Dr. Struble, Ozark, MO dentist. ...

How thinking about death can lead to a good life

2012-04-21
April 24, 2012 - Thinking about death can actually be a good thing. An awareness of mortality can improve physical health and help us re-prioritize our goals and values, according to a new analysis of recent scientific studies. Even non-conscious thinking about death – say walking by a cemetery – could prompt positive changes and promote helping others. Past research suggests that thinking about death is destructive and dangerous, fueling everything from prejudice and greed to violence. Such studies related to terror management theory (TMT), which posits that we uphold ...

Ravens remember relationships they had with others

Ravens remember relationships they had with others
2012-04-21
In daily life we remember faces and voices of several known individuals. Similarly, mammals have been shown to remember calls and faces of known individuals after a number of years. Markus Boeckle and Thomas Bugnyar from the Department of Cognitive Biology of the University of Vienna show in their recent article, published in Current Biology, that ravens differentiate individuals based on familiarity. Additionally, they discovered that ravens memorize relationship valence and affiliation. So far it was unknown whether relationship valence can be remembered based on former ...

San Jose Cosmetic Dentist Shares Important Dental Health Care Information With Patients Through New Features

2012-04-21
To further communicate upcoming events and happenings in the office, Dr. Wesley Yemoto, San Jose cosmetic dentist, has created an advanced social network for increased communication with patients. In addition, patients can also view new educational information through the practice's Facebook, Twitter and blog. With the introduction of these social media channels, patients can now access more personalized information, as well as learn more about other patients' experiences with Dr. Yemoto, San Jose dentist, and his team of dental professionals. By visiting the practice's ...

Researchers boost efficiency of multi-hop wireless networks

2012-04-21
Multi-hop wireless networks can provide data access for large and unconventional spaces, but they have long faced significant limits on the amount of data they can transmit. Now researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a more efficient data transmission approach that can boost the amount of data the networks can transmit by 20 to 80 percent. "Our approach increases the average amount of data that can be transmitted within the network by at least 20 percent for networks with randomly placed nodes – and up to 80 percent if the nodes are positioned ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time

‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’

Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible

Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound

American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care

Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential

Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research

Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration

Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce

Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care

Resident physician intentions regarding unionization

[Press-News.org] World's first handmade cloned transgenic sheep born in China