The birth of Matilda, using somatic cell cloning similar to that which produced Dolly at the Roslin Institute in Scotland four years ago, was a collaborative breakthrough for scientists from the South Australian Government-owned institute, the University of Adelaide and the Cooperative Research Centre for Premium Quality Wool. But the emergence in Australia of cloning technologies may have benefits in other areas, Mr Lewis said. In fact much of the in vitro fertilisation technology in the past has come out of the livestock industry. But Mr Lewis said the creation of a cloned lamb, as such, had nothing to do with human cloning. It is illegal to even contemplate human cloning and I would have no expectation of anybody doing that.
Cloning is an efficient way to leapfrog generations in the search for the premium fine wool.
The current methods based on parent-breeding studs, daughter studs and production flocks can take up to 13 years to move improved bloodlines from the parent stud to the flock. Cloning could compress this to a single generation or one year. The technology also carries the potential for the genetic rescue of flocks endangered by diseases such as ovine Johnes, a wasting disease that last year threatened some of South Australia's most prized merino flocks around Burra. Commercial wool producer and stud breeder Peter England said yesterday technical innovations were needed if wool were to compete against synthetics. At this stage, Matilda is proof of a concept.