In July 1996, the Roslin Institute of the University of Edinburgh accomplished one of the greatest and most controversial feats in modern science with the successful cloning of a mammalian adult cell. Dolly the sheep would be the first mammal born via the process of somatic cell transfer and would provide insight into the possibilities of what science, and stem cell research in particular, could accomplish. In the years following years the debate surrounding cloning and stem cell research would rage on. The success of Dolly raised the bar, with researchers now looking for the next breakthrough in cloning with the possibility of cloning extinct animals or specific organs the next goals.
For more information visit the Roslin Institute’s webpage.