Date of Award:

12-2012

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences

Committee Chair(s)

Kenneth L. White

Committee

Kenneth L. White

Committee

Thomas D. Bunch

Committee

Lee F. Rickords

Committee

Chris J. Davies

Committee

Gregory J. Podgorski

Committee

Kenneth L. White

Abstract

Being able to create a genetically identical, living replicate of a prized animal sounds impossible. Through advanced scientific methods and the wonders of mother nature it can be accomplished by a process called cloning. In 2003, the USU Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science department and Dr. Kenneth L. White gained world wide recognition when they, along with a team for Idaho, cloned the first equine species.

Cloning certain animals could be very advantageous to the agricultural industry. Prized animals that have died could be cloned, producing the best meat and milk supply. Animals that are sterile or endangered could be cloned, restoring the genetics and population. Although there are benefits to cloning there are also drawbacks. One of the biggest hurdles is the success rate. Cloning works correctly less than 8% of the time. Methods that are not biological must be used to produce a clone, and these harsh methods could cause a decrease in success. If there was a better, more biological way to produce a clone the success rate would improve.

Through funding provided by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 08-34526-19199 and 09-34526-19808, ways to improve the methods of producing a clone have been studied. This dissertation outlines a couple pathways to possibly improving cloning. The biology that takes place is complex and many additional studies will need to be conducted before some significant improvements are made.

If the success of cloning improves, there may come a time when these methods are used to improve human health by producing human tissue and organs that are genetically perfect. The possibility of curing life threatening illness through therapeutic cloning is exciting. As the success rate of cloning animals improves, so does the chance that cloning will affect and improve human lives.

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This work made publicly available electronically on December 31, 2013.

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