Science Alert: Researchers clone the first primates from monkey tissue cells

Fifty-nine days ago, a monkey in Shanghai gave birth to a clone. The infant was the first primate to be cloned using bodily tissue cells, the technique that produced Dolly the sheep. A second monkey, identical to the first, was born 10 days later. The two clones, named Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua, are alive and healthy, said researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "Monkeys are nonhuman primates that are evolutionarily close to humans," said Muming Poo, a neuroscientist and member of the cloning team. He also said: "There is no intention for us to apply this method to humans." The achievement suggests it is now possible to create research populations of identical, customized monkeys, which Poo and his colleagues said would decrease the number of primates used in laboratory experiments.

Democracy Dies in Darkness     Science Alert Wed, Jan 24, 2018, 12:01 PM     Researchers clone the first primates from monkey tissue cells Fifty-nine days ago, a monkey in Shanghai gave birth to a clone. The infant was the first primate to be cloned using bodily tissue cells, the technique that produced Dolly the sheep. A second monkey, identical to the first, was born 10 days later. The two clones, named Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua, are alive and healthy, said researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "Monkeys are nonhuman primates that are evolutionarily close to humans," said Muming Poo, a neuroscientist and member of the cloning team. He also said: "There is no intention for us to apply this method to humans." The achievement suggests it is now possible to create research populations of identical, customized monkeys, which Poo and his colleagues said would decrease the number of primates used in laboratory experiments. Read more » Advertisement You received this email because you signed up for news alerts from The Washington Post. Manage my newsletters and alerts | Unsubscribe Privacy Policy | Help ©2018 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071