Cloning: Making Super Camels

Scientists in the UAE have recently begun efforts to clone camels using the single cell technique.

Also known as somatic cell cloning, it is the same procedure that was used to clone "Dolly" the sheep in 1997.

After successfully producing camel calves by using embryo transfer and producing the world’s first test-tube camel through In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) in 2006, scientists in the UAE believe cloning is the next step.

"We achieved a major breakthrough by producing the first test-tube camel calf. It opened doors for further research because once IVF is successful, it means 70 per cent of the cloning work is done," said Prof Abdul Hak Anouassi, Director of the Veterinary Research Centre, Abu Dhabi.

Cloning Research

But IVF was not easy and it took them a lot of research work before they could produce a test-tube camel. For cloning, however, "the time-frame could be shorter", said Dr Anouassi.

The UAE is the only country that produces calves through embryo transfer and is conducting cloning research on camels, said Dr Anouassi.

Others centres in Al Ain and Dubai are conducting research on cloning and IVF but the Veterinary Research Centre, Abu Dhabi, is the world’s only centre to have produced a camel calf using IVF in 2006, he added.

"Already with embryo transfer and test-tube calves, we are producing genetically superior camels. On an average, 50 per cent of the race winners are camels born through embryo transfer. Cloning will not only produce genetically superior camels but also will help preserve certain rare camel species from becoming extinct."

Genetic Duplicate

This is possible because unlike embryo transfer and IVF calves, which have genes from both the female and the male camel, a cloned calf will have the genes of only the single cell donor.

By using a single cell from either the female camel or the male camel, an exact genetic duplicate of the animal can be produced, explained Dr Hadj Khatir, scientific researcher and IVF specialist.

"Cloning requires numerous experiments to achieve success," said Dr Khatir, adding that "Dolly" was replicated only after 227 experiments.

Dr Khatir said another challenge for them is obtaining ovaries from female camels. "At the moment we are facing a shortage of ovaries because we take ovaries from camels in slaughter houses and currently there are few camels there."

Dr Khatir said in the UAE, camel research holds great importance because camels are held in great respect in the Gulf culture.

Dr Anouassi said, "Cloning is primarily done to prevent certain camels from becoming extinct and for races. There is no question of ethical issues because we are preserving them for our future."

Embryo Transfer

• Embryo transfer helps prevent the camel population from declining, because a camel gives birth to a calf only once every two years.
• The centre has been producing camel calves through embryo transfer for the last 17 years.
• Using embryo transfer, a female camel on average can produce 25 fertilised eggs annually, which are implanted in surrogate mothers.
• So far, 2,200 camels have been produced through embryo transfer at the centre.
• Recently, the centre produced almost 300 camels through embryo transfer, making it the only centre in the UAE with the maximum output.