Embrapa wants to fecundate Vitória, the cloned heifer

02/05/2002 - 13h19

Brasília, 2 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The first anniversary of Vitória, the first nuclear transference cloned cow in Latin America, is being celebrated today in Brasília with a seminar about animal reproduction. Born in March 2001, and bred by Embrapa Biotechnological and Genetic Resources's, Vitoria is a healthy animal and does not need special carem says the veterinarian and head of the breeding project, Rodolfo Rumpf. He declared that the research target now is to fecundate Vitória by the first time.

Rumpf added that one use of cloning will be the regeneration of genetic banks and of animal populations threatened by extinction. He said that there will also be an advance towards transgenic animals that, in the future, will be used in the production of medicines, vaccines and other substances of high agregated value.

According to the vet, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) is already researching the creation of transgenic bovines, whose milk will bring benefits, such as the human growth hormone. (WPS)