EUSci – The Edinburgh University Science Magazine

Edinburgh scientists are applying for funding in order to develop a new cloning technique. The proposed method will involve creating a chimera of the northern and southern white rhino sub-species, in a bid to save the northern white rhino from extinction.

The scientists will take skin cells from the northern white rhino, which will subsequently be genetically modified to create induced pluripotent stem cells. These cells will have the capability to develop into any cell type, except for extra embryonic tissue. The stem cells will then be inserted into an early embryo of the more common southern white rhino, within which both cell types should divide, thereby creating a chimera of both rhinos. The genetic contents from each cell population should not be altered, although the resulting animal would be composed of a mixture of cells from each population.

It is hoped that the chimeras will express northern white rhino sperm or egg cells, thereby presenting the possibility of a breeding programme that could save this rare species from a possible extinction. If this technique is a success, it could be extended to other species on the brink of extinction.

–Zoe Barclay