Twenty-five years ago, scientists cloned a sheep and called it Dolly. In this Research Insights event, we were joined by Dr Christine Tait-Burkard and Dr Sarah Chan to discuss how science has progressed since Dolly, and the ethics behind this controversial field.

Dolly the sheep was part of a series of experiments aimed at developing a method of producing genetically modified animals. Though cloning is rarely used for this purpose today, the idea that we can tweak animals' DNA to make them healthier and more productive remains an important research topic.

Speakers

Dr Christine Tait-Burkard is part of a team using gene editing techniques to produce pigs that don’t get ill when they catch a devastating virus, called PRRSV. The aim is to make life healthier for farm animals and food production safer for humans. 

Dr Sarah Chan is an ethicist - this means she thinks about the ‘we can, but should we?’ questions around research. Stem cells, human and animal enhancement and genetic modification are just some of the areas she explores.   

Hosted by Hazel Lambert.

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