Rabbit: a new member of the clone family

Introduction: French scientists recently published a research report in the Journal of natural biotechnology, announcing the birth of the first batch of cloned rabbits Scientists hope that the birth of these cloned rabbits will provide convenience for human medical research and drug extraction It is reported that these cloned rabbits were actually born last year Scientists didn't release the news until they confirmed that the rabbits were healthy and fertile The technology of rabbit cloning and dolly of sheep cloning are just like each other The scientists injected DNA from an adult rabbit body cell into the empty shell of another rabbit egg cell which extracted the genetic gene After the unfertilized egg cell with new genetic material developed into an embryo, the scientists implanted it into the uterus of the third rabbit Scientists have changed the time required for a few important steps in the process of rabbit cloning At last, a total of six rabbits were born successfully, two of them died just after birth Two of the four surviving rabbits have given birth to healthy babies Scientists often use mice in animal experiments, but the French scientists believe that rabbits may be better experimental materials than mice, because they are closer to humans in physiology From an evolutionary point of view, rabbits are closer to primates than rats Scientists can make these rabbits suffer from human diseases through genetic transformation The successful birth of cloned rabbits means that laboratories can obtain a large number of genetically identical rabbits for medical research and help people find the causes of some diseases and treatment methods Although some genetically engineered bacteria can "synthesize" what some scientists want But many more complex substances can only be obtained from animal milk Although the milk production of rabbits is much lower than that of sheep, rabbits are easier to care for and feed In addition, it usually takes less than half a year from the pregnancy of female rabbits to the milk production of young rabbits So scientists hope that through genetic technology, the rabbit's milk contains some useful substances that can cure human diseases, making it a "platform" for mass production of the drug.