Question: Have you ever been interested in genetic engineering or the cloning of mammals?

Christie Waddington answered on 17 Jun 2016:

In my research I do a lot of genetic engineering, but mainly with bacteria and yeast. We put in the gene for the protein I’m researching into a plasmid (a circular piece of DNA, used by bacteria). We then put this plasmid into bacteria and the bacteria replicate themselves, their DNA and my plasmid all at the same time so we can have lots and lots of copies.

I find cloning really interesting, and it has been performed in a number of animals now: Mice, sheep, monkeys, pigs, cows, horses, dogs, camels, goats. It would definitely be cool to see how it was done rather than just learning about it!

Reproductive human cloning will not be allowed (unless it’s natural of course, because twins are identical clones!) due to ethical reasons. But what is called “therapeutic human cloning” may be. This is the cloning of human tissue for use in transplants and medicine. They are currently researching this but no one is doing it yet, as far as I’m aware.