Stalker

Why. In early 90s I read in The Times the experiments being carried out in the White island. When in mid 80s the geneticists got the technology to make live replicas from the dead DNA material in was just the first step towards real Jurassic Park. The cloning is something known since early 20th century - you will need nothing but inputting the ready DNA material into the carrier's ovule. So, the problem was filling in the gaps in the DNA chain. It's far from being science fiction.

Quokka

The Tasmanian Tiger is a good example of that, theres some very series research and debate about whether it is possible or ethical to recreate this extinct (according to most reports) animal. The verdict so far seems to be we can't yet but watch this space.

Maryjane

Possibly they already have and just keeping it a secret at this time. I have heard of this somewhere before about filling missing gaps in DNA, don't remember exactly how long ago but it was certainly a number of years ago that I read about this type of research somewhere. Using DNA in prehistoric animal remains frozen intact in the Artic tundra I think it was. Love

Maryjane

www.webspawner.com/users/cynthia932/index.html* *

Quokka

I remember hearing about a failed (atleast so far) attempt with a mammoth, I assume they were hoping to use elephant DNA to bridge the gaps, though I could be wrong with that.

They are still hopful of finding intact DNA with the Tasmanian Tiger (or Thylacine), meaning more simple cloning techniques could be applied. The last one died in captivity in 1936. in 2000 the Australian Museum announced it had 'high quality' DNA from samples that had been preserved in alcohol rather than formalin. Earlier this year The Australian Museum shelved the project but other researches have since arranged to continue the project.

Stalker

Yes, I've heard about the Tasmanian tiger. Interesting, the last tasmanian tiger died in the zoo in early 30s of the last century if I am not mistaken.
What concerns mamoths... Yes, even in Soviet times, there was an idea to revive mammoths. I read it in Soviet scientific journals and saw in popular scientific TV programmes in early 80s. But then it was no technology making possible replication of a live cell from the dead one. Two well-preserved corpses were found but not a single live cell. Now it is possible to do it: to get DNA and to prepare the cell on basis of mammoth's DNA and to implant it into a female elephant's ovule.
But the next question will arise: why?
Mammoths were migrating animals and they used to migrate seasonly from Russian tundras to European forests and back. Now, please, only imagine that! In winter there are huge illegal immigrants to Western Europe from Eastern Europe niglegting all borders, walking through towns and villages, jamming highways, marching along in herds of 100-200 animals - and this all is going on in one of the most populated regions in the world! :biggrin:.

Quokka

Some very similar questions being asked about the Tasmanian Tiger, appart from the questions of spending millions to re-create a species when sights and photos (all be it blurry ones* ) are still being claimed. Logging and expanding human populations means we could recreate a species at the same time we finish destroying its natural habitat to the point where it would be impossible to reintroduce them to the wild, leaving them confined to zoos, reserves and breeding programs?

By the way sorry about the detour from nano tech.

Maryjane

Well one never knows, might bridge the gap in DNA wit nanobots, so in a way we didn't stray away that far from the subject of nanotechnology. Would be interesting to see the reaction of people in this town if a woolly mammoth was to walk the main street. I can picture people on top of utility poles and roofs and on top of cars :biggrin: Of course I would be riding on it's back wearing skins
Love

Maryjane

www.webspawner.com/users/cynthia932/index.html

Percon

I want to get a job in the field of Nanotechnology, especially working on nanorobotics. Imagine giving nanobots the ability to pull molecules together to create things such as food in a factory in a very short space of time ('Tis theoretically possible :smilie. Or killing viruses in the body. The posibilities are endless really...

PERCON