Gamers are the only people who need worry about minotaurs!
UK scientists have applied for permission to create embryos by fusing human DNA with cow eggs.
Researchers from Newcastle University and Kings College, London, have asked the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for a three-year licence.
The hybrid human-bovine embryos would be used for stem cell research and would not be allowed to develop for more than a few days.
Liberal Democrat MP Dr Evan Harris – a member of the Commons Science and Technology Select Committee – said: “If human benefit can be derived by perfecting therapeutic cloning techniques or from research into subsequently-derived stem cells, then it would actually be immoral to prevent it just because of a ‘yuck’ factor.”
Human eggs for research are in short supply and to obtain them women have to undergo surgery.
That is why scientists want to use cows’ eggs as a substitute.
They would insert human DNA into a cow’s egg which has had its genetic material removed, and then create an embryo by the same technique that produced Dolly the Sheep.
The resulting embryo would be 99.9% human; the only bovine element would be DNA outside the nucleus of the cell.
The quality and the viability of stem cells would then be checked to see if the technique had worked.
Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, head of developmental genetics, National Institute for Medical Research, said: “This is a very rational step: to learn what you can using animal eggs, which are readily obtainable, before moving on to valuable human eggs when or if this becomes necessary.”
All we’re describing here are procedures that make scientific sense, economic sense, sense to the average citizen who hasn’t an ego tied up in politics or religion. Unfortunately, you still have to get past the people who make the most noise about “protecting” us all from research and knowledge.
I, for one, welcome our new Human-Cow overlords.
Would the heifers have big tits?
They could be the next-gen mercenaries for Iraq.
Eideard: I tend to agree with you that this make sense, but I think you are being a little condescending to people who might be against it.
I think most reasonable scientists (and thinkers) believe there are lines in biotechnology that should not be crossed (at this time), and surely this is one step closer to the (or ‘a’) line.
When I read something like: “would not be allowed to develop for more than a few days”, I get scared, as the “slippery slope” argument becomes a lot easier to buy into when its just a bureaucratic rule keeping things in check. In other words, this kind of experimentation needs to be followed and verified for “properness” on a critical basis.
Thanks for not using this picture. It’s quite disturbing.
Not be allowed to develop for more than a few days?
So what happens if one is accidentally allowed to develop longer? At what point does this human embryo have the right to survive?
BTW – holy crap, but Firefox 2 just corrected my spelling in this post. Is that new to 2 or have I just never spelled anything wrong before? That’s probably gonna affect the web society more than cowmen, doodz.
lou — read more surveys published in peer review journals. The overwhelming majority of genetics researchers are more than capable of handling reasonable ethics concerns — and consider 99% of the crap raised to be just that. They’ve been doing so on their own, all along.
There are damned few lines which should not be crossed if you expect to analyze, learn and improve science. No one’s suggesting cloning Bush; but, there will be experiments well beyond the limitations of the bible belt. They will promote science — and business flowing from science — in other lands. That’s all.
Ascii King — it’s one of things I love about FFX2.
Bush plot to get more voters from farm states to the polls. Watch him flip flop on cloning to make this happen.
Damn it! I told them to develop a Dogcow! A Dogcow! Damn Skype!
#6 – yeah ff2 has a decent spellchecker – better than thunderbird.
Just made some mutants already, danmit, and quit wasting my time.
dna is neat… I’d just be more comfortable if we developed a greater understanding of how it works before we got too deep into trying to control it as such. I know, I know, this is how we learn… I’m just… not a geneticist (sp?) is all
#8. He’s always making those lame jokes about “more cows than people” – perhaps it is a Bush plot to CREATE more voters in the farm states …
We can always trust scientist. It was not their fault that bad people used their A-Bomb to kill people. So too weaponized anthrax, bleeding, ugenics and so forth …
We must always remember that scientists are never wrong and always, always noble. They are smart and the rest of us are not and we just don’t understand …
Yeah, syngensmyth, damn those bad scientists who brought us fire.
I’m very pro science, but I don’t worship at its alter of infallibility.
I wonder if Cr. Firestarter received a government grant?
Ethics is relative – A Christian would say a human is the image of God, while a cow is merely an animal – to combine the two would be abhorrently disrespectful to God – I would wonder what a Hindu would think of this as well (they attach great significance to cows, don’t they?) – just because one person declares something ethical, by their definition, does not mean that it is widely accepted as ethical
And FF2’s spellchecker is wonderful – now they just need to build one for IM …
“they attach great significance to cows, don’t they?”
I sure do. Ground up, grilled, and served in a bun with lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, olives, mayo, and mustard!
#17 I have to say, you seem to be on to something there. Not as appealing if it looked like grandma, but I suppose we would get over it.