Geneticist for Cloning

New cloning techniques have made what was once believed impossible now possible. These new technologies allow for the extraction and purification of minute amounts of fossilized DNA, which is then activated, amplified, and replicated before being used for in vitro fertilization. In 2001, a baby Asian gaur (ox-like animal) was the first animal to survive an interspecies cloning procedure. Even though the baby only survived two days, it was successfully cloned from the cell of a dead gaur that was implanted into a cow's egg before another cow acted as the surrogate mom. What a fantastic opportunity!--to be in on the ground level of a major scientific discovery that could potentially alter humans' tendency to destroy life. You'll need to decide if this is our chance to save lives, which through no fault of their own suffered extinction in the geologic past? You'll need to investigate how much there would be to fear in bringing dinosaurs back from extinction--could genetic manipulations place careful limits on evolution to ensure that no "monsters" would arise?--you'll have to explore this point for the judges. Also give some consideration to the ways in which society is altered by scientific advances. Experimentation and exploration are, after all, the hallmarks of the human enterprise. Cloning techniques, such as those being developed in your lab, will need to be explained to the judges using lay terminology so that they can fully appreciate why cloning research promises to yield tremendous scientific advances. Part of your thesis will show the judges how experimenting with dinosaurs could even one day save the human race from going extinct. (And you'll urge your ethical experts to point out what your genetic research reveals about the many benefits that humans now and in the future will derive from the technological advances associated with cloning procedures). Your goal is to convince the judges to approve the cloning of dinosaurs because of the numerous, extraordinary ways in which scientific exploration can enrich society.