By JOJO DE GUZMAN
SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija — The Department of
Agriculture- Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) with funding support from the
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and
Development (PCARRD) and PCC is now busy in a research project entitled "Cloning
through somatic cell nuclear transfer as a tool for genetic improvement in water
buffalos".
Described as the country’s first buffalo cloning R&D project
and the first initiative of its kind in Southeast Asia, we may soon expect
"super buffalos" as part of the country’s landscape soon.
Recently approved by the PCARRD governing council and
launched last month, the project aims to develop a system for cloning through
somatic cell nuclear transfer technology in water buffalo to produce "super
buffalo calves".
Dr. Libertado Cruz, PCC executive director and project
leader, said protocols on cloning techniques and freezing buffalo oocytes
(female egg cells) are expected to be established, with about 1,000 buffalo
clone embryos (fertilized eggs) produced in vitro (in the laboratory) and
transferred to recipient animals.
Dr. Elaine F. Lanting, PCARRD Livestock Research Division
Director, explained that "somatic cell nuclear transfer is a technique that
involves the production of mature buffalo oocytes in vitro". He said that these
oocytes will be enucleated (i.e., the nucleus will be removed) to become
recipient cytoplasts.
"In turn, the recipient cytoplasts will receive nuclear
materials derived from somatic cells, such as from the ear skin of the super
buffalo, and will be cultured for six to seven days in vitro. The resulting
embryos will be transferred to surrogate dams to produce clones of the super
buffalo" Lanting said.
Dr. Cruz emphasized that in essence, there will be no modification or
alteration of the genetic materials. "The project will merely allow the
multiplication of the existing superior germplasms of the super buffalo" he
added.
