Born this day in 1996 was Dolly, a female domestic Sheep remarkable in being the first mammal to be cloned. 10 things you may not know about Dolly the Sheep:
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- Dolly was cloned by Keith Campbell, Ian Wilmut and colleagues at the Roslin Institute, part of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and the biotechnology company PPL Therapeutics, based near Edinburgh.
- She had three mothers: one provided the egg, another the DNA, and a third carried the cloned embryo to term.
- The cell used to obtain the DNA was that of a mammary gland, which not only proved that clones could be made from specific adult cells, but also gave rise to her name. Wilmut said, "Dolly is derived from a mammary gland cell and we couldn't think of a more impressive pair of glands than Dolly Parton's."
- Dolly lived her entire life at the Roslin Institute in Midlothian. She had to be kept indoors for security reasons.
- She had six offspring by a Welsh Mountain ram in the time honoured fashion. Her lambs were named Bonnie, Sally, Rosie, Lucy, Darcy and Cotton.
- There were also four clones of her: Daisy, Debbie, Dianna, and Denise.
- Dolly developed arthritis at the age of four, and at the age of six, had to be put to sleep due to a form of lung cancer.
- There was speculation that she died young (her breed, Finn Dorsets, have a life expectancy of 11 to 12 years) because she was a clone and her cells were older. However, scientists have pointed out that this form of lung cancer is common in sheep and especially those kept indoors. Other sheep in Dolly’s flock also died of it, and her clones lived to be at least nine years old in good health. After her death Dolly's body was preserved via taxidermy and is currently on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
- She has been called "the world's most famous sheep" by sources including BBC News and Scientific American.
- There’s even a computer game about her. "Dolly The Sheep" was released on November 13, 2012 and in it, Dolly is being chased by evil scientists.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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