Scientists clone first-ever Cashmere goat

15 Oct '10

2 min read

Recently the first somatic cell cloned Shanbei white Cashmere goat was successfully born in the Laboratory of Life Science and Research Center of Yulin College. The little ram has been named "Liangliang" and anglicized as Niche.

The project leader, as well as Life Science and Research Center of Yulin School Dr. Qu Lei said, the project has been supported by national funds for major projects, and has been shared by the Northwest A & F University and Yulin School.

The research group selected an adult cashmere goat from the Northern regions, as they produce large quantity and excellent velvet cashmere. The group collected a small amount of ear skin fibroblast cells as donor cells, then built cloned embryo through application of somatic cell nuclear transfer technology in the laboratory of Life Science and Research Center of Yulin School.

Researchers implanted a mature somatic cell cloned embryo into surrogate ewe's womb on February 3 this year and after 155 days of gestation; the cloned sheep was successful born.

With the successful cloning of "Niche", the research group continued to develop goat-cloned embryos and has transferred these to seven surrogate ewes. The Task Force plans to transfer cloned embryos to 150 surrogate ewes this year, in order to clone cashmere goats with special performance of production genes.

They will make the white cashmere goats with target genes mate naturally; their natural mating is expected to reproduce quality white cashmere goats with target genes in Shanbei.

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