Man-beast hybrid beyond talking stage

[Guest guest]

Scary stuff:

 

 

http://www.nationalpost.com/tech/story.html?f=/stories/20010822/659629.html

 

Human DNA in cow egg

 

by Scott Foster

The Edmonton Journal: NATIONAL POST.

 

Melding man and beast may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but

it's not.

 

Amid all the advances in genetic manipulation, the idea of combining the

DNA of animals and humans has gone beyond the talking stage -- it's been

attempted.

 

Indeed, many scientists and academics are wondering how far it might go

and what the ethical implications would be. If a human were crossed with

a chimpanzee, for example, would it still be human? And if not, then

what would it be?

 

The first publicized case of animal-human hybrids took place in 1996

when Jose Cibelli, a scientist at the University of Massachusetts, took

DNA from his white blood cells by swabbing the inside of his cheek. He

then inserted the DNA sample into a hollowed-out cow egg.

 

Cibelli's experiment came to an end after a week of growing the cell

mass, he told scientists earlier this month at a panel meeting of the

National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. This raised the

question of what might have emerged had the cell mass continued to

develop.

 

" As far as we know, it would still look like a human being, but some of

the characteristics of individual cells might be slightly different, "

said James Cross, a molecular biologist at the University of Calgary who

attended the meeting.

 

If such an embryo could develop, he said, the result would resemble a

human mbeing but carry bovine mitochondria, the energy-producing

component of every cell. This is because the cow's egg shell, or

cytoplasm, contains genetic materials known as mitochondrial DNA.

 

" This suggests that we can create new human-animal species, " said Jeremy

Rifkin, biotechnology critic and president of the Washington-based

Foundation on Economic Trends.

 

Rifkin called the experiment " the most extraordinary single development

in the history of biotechnology. "

 

Such experiments have become public only when the makers of hybrids, who

fund their operations through investor capital, apply to patent their

inventions.

 

In partnership with Massachusetts-based Advanced Cell Technology,

Cibelli came out from under a shroud of secrecy in 1998 when the firm

applied to patent the alleged invention.

 

Last October, Greenpeace Germany dug up a patent claim for a similar

human-animal hybrid, only this time it involved a pig. U.S.-based

Biotransplant and Australia-based Stem Cell Sciences grew a pig-human

embryo to 32 cells before ending its life.

 

" If the embryo had lived, it would be 95% human, " said Michael Khoo, a

genetic engineering campaigner for Greenpeace's Toronto branch. " The

possibilities are not only frightening, but it's unknown just how many

other similar patent applications are out there. "

 

Meanwhile, critics and futurists are having a field day speculating on

the future of biotechnology.

 

" Chimpanzees share between 95% and 98% of our genes, so the prospect of

creating a human-chimpanzee hybrid are highly probable, " Rifkin said.

" The question becomes: What percentage of human genes will it take

before human rights kick in? Would a hybrid have to look and talk like a

human before it can get human rights? "

 

While the concept of making and owning such a creation for 20 years

under patent law is controversial to say the least, the science behind

combining animal eggs and human DNA could be useful, said Cross. " In the

case of Dolly, it took 277 eggs to get the sheep. In normal IVF

programs, the number of eggs you get usually ranges between five and 10.

So, to solve a potential shortage, some scientists have considered using

an egg from a different species to house human DNA. "

 

While such an attempt to improve the egg supply may be scientifically

possible, people are not ready for such a brave new world which involves

crossing the species barrier, said Diane Cox, who chairs the medical

genetics department at the University of Alberta. " Right now, technology

is way ahead of ethics.

 

The Canadian population is worried enough about relatively trivial

things, let alone such a bizarre concept. "

[Guest guest]

well,

 

if they have the Man-beast hybrid beyond talking stage to the point where

he can actually talk about his emotions and so on, I'd say that womankind

will be really grateful.

 

what next? will they seek and and destroy the gene that makes men fall

asleep after sex?

 

i say it'll never happen in my lifetime.

 

somethings have to remain sacred.

 

john

 

just to keep this on topic:

 

my personal vegan food awards for this year [ london only ] :

 

best vegan chips [ that fires to y'all folks ] Pumpkins in Hackney

best vegan capuccino [ barley cup too ] Puschka in Brixton

best vegan baked potato Cherry Orchard in

Bethnal Green

best posh vegan meal The Gate in

Hammersmith

best vegan cakes Ceres in

Portobello Road [ now the granary i think ]

best oriental Tao

is it? in Soho and Golder Green eat as much as you buffet for 5 UKP, free

cooking classes

best indian

Indian Veg eat as much as you want in Chapel Market N1

best trendy hang out Fresh and

Wild in Soho

best supermarket yes, i know

it is a sin but a 2 am, where else can you buy organic black and green

hazelnet and current chocolate? Tesco

best wholefood shop Fresh and Wild,

Old Street

best falafel

Spitalfields Organic market on a Sunday

bravest pioneers on the frontline of civilisation

Heroes of Nature Braodway Market Hackney, init mate.

 

any other awards? any locale considered.