Skip to Content

Cloning Cows

With just homemade needles and some cells from an ear biopsy, Jose Cibelli of Cyagra demonstrates how to build a blue-ribbon steer.
September 1, 2002

Most scientists spend their graduate-school years generating reams of data that wind up in the pages of a scientific journal or collecting dust in the university library. Jose Cibelli’s PhD project wound up swatting at flies in a grassy pasture near the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where the reproductive researcher earned his degree. Shown here flanking Cibelli, Charlie and George were among the first cattle ever cloned when they were born in January 1998. These days Cibelli and his colleagues at Worcester, MA-based Cyagra are turning the once experimental technique used to produce the twin Holsteins into a commercial enterprise. In the space of a year and for a fee of $19,000, Cyagra will transform a tiny skin sample from a prized animal into a living, breathing clone of the creature. Though Cyagra-a spinoff of biotech company Advanced Cell Technology-isn’t saying publicly how many customers it’s had so far, Cibelli says it has the ability to clone an animal in a day. During a visit this summer, Technology Review senior editor Rebecca Zacks got a chance to watch Cibelli do just that, and to meet George and Charlie.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

This new data poisoning tool lets artists fight back against generative AI

The tool, called Nightshade, messes up training data in ways that could cause serious damage to image-generating AI models. 

Everything you need to know about artificial wombs

Artificial wombs are nearing human trials. But the goal is to save the littlest preemies, not replace the uterus.

Rogue superintelligence and merging with machines: Inside the mind of OpenAI’s chief scientist

An exclusive conversation with Ilya Sutskever on his fears for the future of AI and why they’ve made him change the focus of his life’s work.

Data analytics reveal real business value

Sophisticated analytics tools mine insights from data, optimizing operational processes across the enterprise.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.