After 2 setbacks, calf cloned from elite bull’s cells at NDRI

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, February 14

Continuing with their success in the cloning field, scientists of the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) produced a male cloned calf from the cells of selected elite bull. This comes after witnessing two deaths of cloned calves at NDRI in the past two years.

This calf has been produced under the project ‘Production of multiple copies of elite buffalo bull by using animal cloning technique’. At present, it is the first living cloned male calf at NDRI.

It is in good health and scientists are monitoring its condition.

As per the scientists, multiple male calves from elite bulls are to be produced under this project to meet the demand of good quality semen.

The new male cloned calf was produced on December 14, 2019 but was disclosed on Friday after an observation of two months and with the calf having good health.

Scientists Dr P Palta, Dr MK Singh, Dr SS Lathwal and Dr Subhash Chand worked on producing this calf for the past two years and witnessed several hiccups. Some more calves are also expected in the coming days.

Dr MS Chauhan, Director, NDRI, who was one of the team members who produced the first cloned calf at NDRI in February 2009, shared the details with The Tribune.

He said the cloned calf has good health and its weight was 22 kg at the time of birth. Now, it weighs more than 70 kg.

“I congratulate the scientists who did not lose hope and ontinued to work in the past two years and produced this male cloned calf,” he said.

The production of elite bulls would help in meeting the demand of good germplasm in the country as only 26 per cent of the total semen is of Murrah bull. Scientists want to take it to 100 per cent in the coming years, he maintained.

In good health

• The new male cloned calf was produced on December 14, 2019, but information was disclosed on Friday after an observation of two months and with calf having good health
• NDRI scientists had produced 16 cloned calves — 11 female and five male — between February 2009 and August 2015

‘Focus is on raising milch animals’ yield’

Karnal: Dr MS Chauhan, newly appointed Director of NDRI, on Friday, said that the focus would be on enhancing productivity of milch animals in the country so that the country could meet the increasing demand of milk. “We are facing a big challenge in the shape of low productive animals. Without enhancing their productivity, we cannot meet the increasing demand,” the Director told mediapersons during his maiden press conference after taking charge. He had earlier served the NDRI as Principal Scientist and was one of the members of the team that produced the first cloned calf of the world. tns