British Scientists Plan Human Chimeras
 

I saw this on How Stuff Works a few days ago and did a little digging. The basic gist is that the scientists are looking for a way around the shortage of human eggs available for research use by using bovine eggs instead. Almost all of the bovine DNA is removed during the cloning process, so the resulting embryos are usefull for the same studies that human stem cells are currently used in, but are much more easily obtainable.
What do you guys think? I don't think it's a cover up for research into developing viable organisms, if they wanted to do that they'd use other species first so we won't be seeing human animal hybrids walking the streets. That said, this has a serious yuck factor associated with it. Viable embrio or not the creature is still a merging of humans with another species for its short life span.
Problem is, there's almost no legal barrier to stop them. Fetuses don't fall under the law, so they can truthfully argue that no rights are being violated. The results of this have good potential to help people, so they can call up precidents where potential benifets were used to push questionable practices through. All in all I think they'll get their permit.
A little googling turns up quite a few other cases as well, some involving rabits, pigs and mice as well as cows.


http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2...s.html?ref=rss

Hmmmm, bovine eggs.....four teats. ;)

Cool!

I read an article, in Discover I think, about how now is the first time in history that we won't be able to classify "freaks" with our eyes & guts.

Anybody else think of this?

Or this?

I am imagining a creature like a centaur with a bull's body and a human head and brain. It escapes from the lab and...

Runs for Governor of California and wins?

LOL! Good one Wolf! 9th Engineer is right to be concerned!

I seriously doubt that it will be a creature that can live. And if it is, it's far more likely to be a unicorn than a centaur!

A long time ago, when the Earth was green
There was more kinds of animals than you've ever seen
They'd run around free while the Earth was being born
And the loveliest of all was the unicorn

There was green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born
The loveliest of all was the unicorn

The Lord seen some sinning and it gave Him pain
And He says, "Stand back, I'm going to make it rain"
He says, "Hey Noah, I'll tell you what to do
Build me a floating zoo,
and take some of those...

Green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born
Don't you forget My unicorns

Old Noah was there to answer the call
He finished up making the ark just as the rain started to fall
He marched the animals two by two
And he called out as they came through
Hey Lord,

I've got green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but Lord, I'm so forlorn
I just can't find no unicorns"

And Noah looked out through the driving rain
Them unicorns were hiding, playing silly games
Kicking and splashing while the rain was falling
Oh, them silly unicorns

There was green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Noah cried, "Close the door because the rain is falling
And we just can't wait for no unicorns"

The ark started moving, it drifted with the tide
The unicorns looked up from the rocks and they cried
And the waters came down and sort of floated them away
That's why you never see unicorns to this very day

You'll see green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born
You're never gonna see no unicorns

Don't kid yourself, I was talking about hybrid human apes or something like that. Super strong laborers who can do menial work and be housed in mass cages and bred to specifications. It'll solve all the disputes over unskilled labor, all the workers you need with no need for benifits or even paychecks.

Bri, that poem rocks!

Called The Unicorn Song (what else?) by the Irish Rovers. Circa...1965-6?

I know that song! My parents had it on single and used to play it when they had dinner parties. lol

That's on one of my Shel Silverstein albums. :D
copyright 1962

That's ........... horrible.

"Instead of using human eggs, the researchers will remove the nuclei from cows' eggs and replace them with cells from the patients to create cloned stem cell lines that contain the same genetic mutation that results in these neurological disorders."

Essentially what they are doing is taking the motherboard out of one buggy computer and putting it in another, so that they can compare it to a normal working one.

Should this chimera survive and grow up, it would be human, because the directions for making the organism came from human DNA. Only the mitochondrial DNA (outside the nucleus, and not removed and replaced with human) from the original cow egg would be bovine. The original human DNA comes from an adult living person with a known genetic defect. By doing this, we (scientists) can study what is different between a 'normal' and a diseased organism. The growing up to an intact functioning human part is of course not going to happen in a culture dish where these are kept. So, freaking out about this is a waste of O2.

PS, I have no problem with this. I think it's cool as hell.

She blinded me with science! ;)

I heard that scientists are planning to implant LabRat's ass, on my face.

Shame on you Flint. LR is more than just an ass...she's a scientist! ;)

I meant... I'm sure she has some hot scientist friends who can assist in the experiment.

Background music: chicky bow chicky bow bow, chicky bow bow

(supposed to convey porn music...don't know how to write that out)