🐑 Scientists Announce Dolly the Sheep, First Mammal Cloned from an Adult Cell
In February 1997, scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland made a landmark announcement that would reshape the future of genetics and biotechnology: Dolly the sheep — the world’s first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell — was revealed to the public. 👉 Read more on Britannica.com
Dolly was born on July 5, 1996, after researchers used a technique known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). They took the nucleus from a mammary gland cell of a six‑year‑old Finn Dorset ewe and inserted it into an unfertilized egg cell from another sheep, whose nucleus had been removed. The fused cell developed into an embryo that was carried to term by a surrogate mother.
What made Dolly truly revolutionary was that she was cloned from a fully differentiated adult cell — something previously thought impossible. Her successful cloning shattered long‑held beliefs about cell specialization and opened doors for research in developmental biology, medicine, and regenerative therapies.
Dolly lived until 2003 and even gave birth naturally, demonstrating that clones could be fertile. Her story remains one of the most iconic scientific breakthroughs of the late 20th century.